


From The Ashes

by sidhe_faerie



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, OFBB 2016, Olicity Big Bang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-11 00:41:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7868380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sidhe_faerie/pseuds/sidhe_faerie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for OlicityFic Big Bang 2016</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cover Art

**Cover art by eilowyn**

 

** **


	2. Notes

**Title:** From The Ashes  
**Word Count:** 22050  
**Chapters:** 10 (Posting on Wednesdays and Sundays)  
**Rating:** Mature  
**Pairing:** Oliver Queen/ Felicity Smoak  
**Characters:** John Diggle, Thea Queen/Roy Harper, Laurel Lance, Quentin Lance, Moira Queen, Tommy Merlyn, Raisa  
**Warnings:** Sex, injury,   
  
**Summary:** From the dust and ashes of the Undertaking, everything is changing and secrets are being discovered. Oliver and Felicity find themselves at the begining of a new phase of their relationship. While Tommy and Laurel discover they have nothing left to save.   
  
**Author’s Notes:**  
I want to thank the organizers of "olicityficbang" for this challenge. It was great fun to paticipate again.   
  
**Special thanks to Team Tommy Lived!**  
**Beta:** bushlaboo  
**Cheerleader:** writewithurheart   
**Artist:** eilowyn1


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Oliver entered the building just as the ground had finally stopped shaking. He could tell from Laurel’s screams that Tommy was still in the building. His eyes scanned the debris until he spotted Tommy under some rubble.

“Tommy!” Oliver was at his side in one step. He pulled off the concrete and brick and gasped. Oliver felt a moment of panic when he saw rebar sticking out of Tommy’s chest. It gave way to relief when he saw that it missed all the major organs and blood vessels.

“Is it that bad?” Tommy tried to grin but he only managed to wince. Then suddenly his eyes darted around panicked. “Where’s Laurel?”

“She got out. Her dad is here. I need to get you out before the rest of the building comes down.” Oliver eyed the rebar sticking out of Tommy’s shoulder. “Tommy, this is going to hurt like a motherfucker.”

“Will I get a scar? Chicks love scars.” Tommy tried to laugh but ended up just coughing.  He was in a lot of pain already and he could not believe that it could get any worse. “Just do it.” 

Oliver took one of the bolts off his suit and handed it to Tommy. “Bite down on this unless you want Laurel to hear you scream and come in here and see this.”

“You mean you in that hot leather outfit. We are going to talk when we get out of here.” Tommy smiled and bit down on the bolt. He nodded that he was ready.

Oliver lifted him straight up from the rebar and held him up for a moment. “We got to go. Dig is in the van. He can patch you up.”

Tommy took the plancet out of his mouth and took a deep breath. “What are we waiting for?”

Oliver helped him to his feet and out the back of the building. Dig was waiting with the back door of the van open.

“Hey!” Oliver said as he patted Tommy on cheek to get him to wake up when as he put him into the van. “He’s bleeding bad but the rebar missed everything,” Oliver informed Diggle as picked up a towel from the floor of the van and applied pressure on Tommy’s shoulder. “He’s a lucky bastard. Two inches lower and he would be dead.”

Dig got behind the wheel. “Where to?”

“We have to get Felicity. The comms are nothing but static. She may be trapped down there.” Oliver looked worried. He didn’t want her to stay but she wouldn’t go. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

“We can get patched up there unless you want to try to get to the house.” Dig drove around some parked cars. “The hospitals will be crawling with cops and overflowing with injured from the quake.”

“Let’s just get to Felicity then we can decide what to do. I think that we should all stay at the house tonight.” Oliver replied.

“You know that Felicity is going to want to go home.” Dig glanced back at Oliver. “She’s almost as stubborn as you.”

“Sounds like you’ve met your match with her.” Tommy laughed. “Ow! Not so hard!”

“I have to stop the bleeding.” Oliver shrugged.

“Oliver, I think you should just admit it. You have a thing for that little blonde ponytail.” Tommy looked up to see Dig grinning in the rearview mirror. “Even the big guy thinks so.”

Oliver sighed. “She’s my friend.”

“And Laurel was my friend before we started getting serious.” Tommy put his hand on Oliver’s shoulder. “Please tell me that you didn’t sleep with her sister too.”

“She doesn’t have a sister.” Dig chuckled from the front seat.

“See you have it made.” Tommy patted Oliver’s shoulder again. “You’re bleeding. Did my dad do that?”

“We’re all bleeding.” Oliver looked under the towel. “The bleeding has slowed down but you’re going to have to have the wound cleaned and stitched.”

“Is he dead?” Tommy asked. “Oliver, did you kill my dad?”

“Tommy.” Oliver took a breath. “He didn’t give me a choice.”

Tommy nodded. “Okay. We’ll talk about that later too.”

Dig pulled up into alley beside the club and went around back to help Oliver with Tommy.

They made their way to the door and Oliver punched in the code. The door didn’t unlock. He tried again but still nothing happened.

“Felicity….” Oliver clicked the comm in his ear. “Felicity? Felicity, are you there?” he said over the comm.

There was no answer just static.

Oliver looked at Dig. “Take him. I have to get the door open.”

“What are going to do? The power is out. We should try the other door.” Dig took Tommy’s weight and watched as Oliver got a crowbar from the back of the van. “Is that going to work?”

“I don’t know but she’s not answering and I need to make sure she’s all right.” All he knew was that he had to get to her. He leaned his weight on the crowbar. It finally gave on the third try.

With Dig’s assistance Oliver managed to get Tommy down the stairs. There was debris everywhere. Half of the cabinets were open and the the contents littered the floor. Oliver and Dig had to step over the mess to get Tommy to the med table.

“Felicity! Felicity where are you?!” Oliver was becoming frantic when she didn’t answer.

“She’s gone? How did she get out with the door jammed?” Dig asked as he looked around for supplies to stitch up everyone’s wounds. As he managed to find everything he needed Dig placed the supplies on the med table next to a wobbling Tommy Merlyn.

“Wait! I hear something.” Oliver went over to where the computers normally sat; they were on the floor now with the screens cracked. He saw a flash of something under the table. “Felicity, is that you?”

A muffled sob was all the answer Oliver needed to get under the table and pull her out.

“Are you hurt?” Oliver looked her over for blood or bruises but to his relief he saw none.. He helped her stand up and walk her over to the med table.

“Hey Felicity. A building fell on me.” Tommy pasted a charming grin of his face. He was trying to put on a brave face even though the pain was intense.

Felicity looked at Tommy and blinked in surprise. She nodded then turned to Oliver and grabbed on to his suit. “I want to go home.”

Oliver wrapped his arms around her. “Okay. If it’s safe but if not, you are coming to the house with me and Tommy.”

“Dig too?” Felicity asked looking over at Dig.

“Yeah, me too. Oliver, she should sit down. She looks like she’s in shock.” Dig pointed to the damaged supply cabinet. “There should be some bottled water in with the supplies.”

Oliver pried her fingers off his suit and righted a chair for her to sit in. When she was sitting, he went to get water for all of them.

“How did a building fall on you?” Felicity asked. When she saw Dig stick Tommy with a needle next to his wound, she shuddered.

“I went to check on Laurel.” Tommy looked at the wound on his shoulder. “Her father had already gotten there but I was the one that went in to get her. She was trapped and I got her out but then the ceiling came down on me.”

“I told her not to go to work.” Oliver handed Felicity a bottle of water.

“I know why he was there but why were you there, Oliver?” Felicity looked at him and regretted asking that question almost immediately.

“Something told me to go. I was worried about Laurel too I guess. I was glad I did. When Tommy went in to save Laurel, the building collapsed on him. He was impaled with a steel rod when I found him. I got him out and we came straight here.” Oliver put his head in his hands and sat down on the floor.

“Oliver?” Felicity tried to gauge his mood and couldn’t. “Are you okay? The com went out and I couldn’t hear either of you. I started to think you were both dead. The cell tower we were using must have fallen in the earthquake.”

“We need to get out of here. As soon as we’re all patched up, we should head to the house.” Oliver stood up. He put his hand on Felicity’s shoulder and she jumped. “Sorry.”

“I guess I’m still full of adrenaline. I don’t want to be a bother but thanks for the offer to stay at your place. I just realized that my place is probably dust right now.” Felicity wiped her tears. “I live near where the device went off. Well not near but at the edge of the affected area.”

“Then you’re definitely coming home with me now.” Oliver said. “You can borrow something from Thea tonight and we will see how bad it is in the morning.”

“Thanks.” Felicity swallowed. She looked at Tommy. “Does Laurel know you’re okay?”

Tommy looked at Oliver. “I should call her.”

“Cell phones are probably down all over the city.” Felicity looked from Oliver to Tommy. “I suppose more than one cell tower went down and the power is out to most of the city so the land lines are too.”

“We can try to call when we get to the house.” Oliver looked at Dig. “What about Carly and AJ?”

“She’s at her mom’s just outside the city. I’ll call her in the morning.” Dig finished cleaning Tommy’s wound and he started to stitch it. “Oliver you are going to have to stitch me up. The wound in my arm is pretty deep.”

Oliver nodded. “Finish him and I’ll do my own then I’ll do yours.”

“I can help. Show me what to do.” Felicity put the lid on the water bottle she was holding.

“Are you sure?” Oliver opened a package of gauze and handed it to her. He took off his jacket and put it on the floor next to him. He moved so she could reach the wound on his back. “Just clean them and if they look deep let me know and I’ll let Dig stitch it up.”

“Um… okay.” Felicity looked at his back. There were more scratches and a few new cuts between the scars. She carefully cleaned each one. There was one under his arm that looked like it had gone all the way through. “Oliver, did you get shot?”

“No. It was an arrow.” Oliver locked eyes with Dig for a second and looked away. He could feel Felicity’s hands were still shaking as she cleaned his wounds. He looked at the floor and regretted ever bringing her into this life.

“Turn around.” Felicity’s voice broke Oliver’s train of thought.

Oliver turned around to face her. He looked up at her and saw what being with him had already done to her. Her face was streaked with tears. There was dust on her clothes and in her hair. She was shaking from shock but her hands were gentle as she cleaned the gashes on his chest.

“Felicity….” Oliver put his hand over hers on his chest.

“I’m okay.” Felicity gave him a teary smile. “We all are.”

“Thanks to you. You saved lives tonight.” Oliver released her hand. “You were a hero.”

Felicity shook her head. “I was just tech support. This one on your chest may need a stitch or two. Dig will have to get it on the other side.”

“Thanks.” Oliver reached up and brushed her hair off her face. He looked over at Dig. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” Dig pulled off his jacket and shirt and pulled up a chair.

“Wow!” Tommy looked at Dig’s arms. “You’re like a weightlifter or something. I feel so inadequate next to you two.”

“This will just take a minute then we can go.” Oliver said it more to Felicity than Dig. She looked wiped out. He just wanted to get her and Tommy somewhere safe so they could all relax and get some rest.

Dig’s wound was patched up quickly. No one had the energy to clean up the mess from stitching wounds. That and the debris from the quake could be cleaned up later. They all left via the side door. Oliver pulled a dumpster in front of it until he could get it fixed.

Tommy got into the back of the van and Dig waited until Oliver and Felicity caught up with them.

“I have my car. I can follow you.” Felicity pointed at her car.

“Take Tommy. I’ll drive Felicity’s car.” Oliver told Dig.

“I can drive myself.” Felicity folded her arms in front of her.

“I know but we shouldn’t leave your car here and I know the way that Dig is going to take to the house.” Oliver held out his hand. “Just let me, Felicity.”

Felicity sighed and dropped her car keys in his hand.

Oliver walked her over to her car and opened the passenger door for her. He walked around to get behind the wheel and had to adjust the seat before he got in.

“What do we do now? There are a lot of things this city will still need us to do,” Felicity said. “It’s not over for us. Are we still going to work off the list?”

“I’m not sure what to do now.” Oliver said as he pulled out of the parking space to follow Dig to the Queen mansion. “Let’s go get some rest. We will figure it out in the morning.”


	4. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It had been over an hour and Thea was still impatiently waiting for Roy. She ran from the living room to see who was at the door as Oliver and Felicity came in. Tommy and Dig came in behind them.

Thea looked them over before quickly questioning, “What’s going on? Is Tommy okay? Is everyone going to stay with us tonight?”

“Yeah. He got hit with some rubble and I thought he shouldn’t be alone.” Oliver hugged his sister. “Mr. Diggle is going to help keep on eye things tonight. Hey Thea, you remember Felicity, don’t you?”

“I remember her from when Walter was in the hospital. Hi.” Thea smiled at her. “You look like you were in the middle of it all.”

“Hi. I kinda was.” Felicity replied shyly.

“She needs a place to stay tonight. Do you have something she can borrow to sleep in?” Oliver asked.

“Yeah. Come on up and I will get you something.” Thea smiled again. “You can bring Tommy upstairs Mr. Diggle. There’s always a room made up for him.”

“Thea put Felicity in the room on the other side of mine.” Oliver thought for a moment before asking, “Have you heard from Mom?”

Thea glanced over at Felicity, who was covered in dust, and nodded. She could tell that Oliver’s friend was having a rough night. “I haven’t heard anything. The phones are out. I’m sure if there was a problem then they would send someone to let us know.” Thea shook her head and waved her hand to indicate that Felicity should come upstairs with her. “Come on up. You look like you’re my size. I think I have something that fits.”

Following the two women, Dig hesitated at the top of the stairs as he helped Tommy. He wasn’t sure where to go with the injured man.

Tommy pointed down the hall to a room next of Oliver’s. “That one is mine. Felicity will be on the other side of Oliver’s.”

“Mr. Diggle, you can crash there.” Thea pointed to an open door next to Tommy’s room as she passed it on the way to her room with Felicity. She turned to Felicity. “My room is just around the corner. I’ll show you to yours as soon as we get you something to wear. I’m sure you will want to take a shower and get all that dust out of your hair.”

“Thanks.” Felicity followed Thea around the corner.

When they had disappeared, Tommy chuckled. “Thea always wanted a sister. Come in and tell me all about Oliver and Felicity.”

“Not much to tell.” Dig shook his head. “They don’t date. They’re just good friends.”

“Really? Because I’ve seen a lot of angst-y sparks between them and that’s just tonight.” Tommy grinned. “Oliver is a goner.”

“What about Laurel?” Dig asked as he helped Tommy into his room.

“I don’t think it’s more than guilt with them at this point.” Tommy winced as Dig helped him down on the bed. “I knew Laurel was having doubts. She was just getting to a good place right before he came home. Whatever it was, it's done now. I think as soon as Oliver gets his head out of his ass he will see who he really wants to be with.”

“I don’t know, it’s pretty far up there.” Dig chuckled.

“I like you, Dig. You don’t hold back.” Tommy laughed.      

xxx

Oliver had taken a quick shower and came back downstairs to watch the news when Roy burst through the front door. Oliver stared at the young man as he came from the living room.

“Thea said I could …” Roy said when he saw Oliver.

“It’s fine. You’re bleeding.” Oliver pointed to his jacket.

“It’s not mine.” Roy looked down at the blood. He took his jacket off and balled it up in his hand. “I helped some people in a bus. It must have gotten someone’s blood on me.”

“Come upstairs Roy. You need her a shower and I’ll lend you some clothes. You live in the Glades, right?” Oliver knew the answer he was just trying to assess the young man’s condition.

“Yeah.” Roy looked around in wonder.

“How bad was where you live?” Oliver asked.

“A lot of the houses are total wrecks. Some of the apartment buildings were destroyed too. Why?” Roy looked confused that Oliver would be concerned about that kind of thing.

“My friend’s place is on the edge of the Glades. She isn’t sure if she has a place now.” Oliver said.

“Probably not.” Roy shook his head. “It looks like the damage went even farther than the Glades in some places.”

Oliver scowled and then led Roy upstairs.

Oliver knocked on Thea’s door. “Thea, I found something that belongs to you.”

Thea opened the door and threw her arms around Roy. “Thanks Ollie for not throwing him out.”

“It’s not the night for that but if I find you anywhere near her room I will….” Oliver started to warn her.

“Not a problem.” Roy said. “Just show me an empty room and I will stay put.”

“Put him in the room at the end of the hall. The floor boards squeak down there.” Oliver gave Thea a serious look. “Dig has his glock.”

“Oh, your friend is in her room if you want to check on her.” Thea said as she pulled Roy down the hall.

“Thanks Thea.” Oliver went to the room where Felicity was staying and knocked on the door.

Felicity came to the door with wet hair and wrapped in a blanket. She was wearing one of Thea’s night shirts.

“I just wanted to check on you.” Oliver said gently.

“I can’t stop shaking.” Felicity said. “Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?”

Oliver nodded. He looked down the hall at the room Thea had led Roy to and then went inside. He shut the door.

“I was fine until I got out of the shower and then I just … I don’t even know what I just.” Felicity turned to look at him.

Oliver put his hands on her shoulders and started to rub them to help her calm down. “It’s over. Tomorrow, we’ll have to see what we can do. Get in bed and I will sit with you.”

Felicity moved away and put the blanket back on the bed. The light from the lamp revealed her form in the thin nightshirt.

Oliver looked at the floor. Now was not the time for him to have those feelings about her. They were both in shock and it wasn’t a good idea to let things go there.

“What’s wrong?” Felicity said when she saw him looking at the floor.

“Get in bed. It’s been a long night. We both need some sleep.” Oliver looked around for a chair to sit in.

“There is plenty of room and I don’t mind sleeping with you.” Felicity said. “Sleeping _next_ to you not actually with you.”

“I know.” Oliver lay down on the bed beside her on top of the covers.

Felicity looked over at him. She reached over and grabbed his hand and pulled it to her. “I heard some of what you said before the com went down.”

“I wasn’t sure if you did or not.” Oliver was obviously upset now. “I don’t understand why he was there.”

“He loves Laurel.” Felicity said. “He just wanted to make sure she was safe. He made the choice to go in there Oliver for her.”

“I know. I would have never made it in time to get her out.” Oliver said.

“You had to deal with Malcolm Merlyn. He was the bigger problem.” Felicity reminded him. “Why did you tell Tommy that you were going after his father?”

“I didn’t want Tommy to have any more reasons to hate me. I needed him to understand.” Oliver said. “We hadn’t exactly been on the best of terms lately. Things were just starting to get better. I didn’t want to make them worse.”

“Because of Laurel.” Felicity looked down at Oliver’s hand she was holding. She didn’t want him to see the hurt in her eyes from him choosing yet another woman over her.

“Felicity, what is it?” Oliver said when he noticed her face.

“It’s nothing.” Felicity tried to smile.

“It’s something. I can see it in your face. Tell me,” he implored. Oliver was worried that he had said something to upset her.

“It’s just that you keep making bad choices when it comes to women. You only get hurt or they get hurt.” Felicity sighed. “Somebody always gets hurt.”

“Who should I chose then? You?” Oliver looked at her. “I’m not so dense that I don’t know you have feelings for me.”

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I know you don’t feel the same about me.” Felicity said.

“Is that what you think?” Oliver pulled his hand away from her. He moved closer to her. “I feel something for you but I am in danger so much that if I stop and think about you, it means someone could die.”

Felicity looked at him with shock on her face. “I didn’t know.”

“Now you do.” Oliver looked into her eyes.

“Oliver, why haven’t you told me all this before?” Felicity asked.

“I was just trying to spare you some hurt. Like you said someone always gets hurt.” Oliver took a breath. “Laurel was safe. I could pretend to be the man I was and she would never know. I can’t pretend around you. I’m not sure why that is. You deserve better than a damaged man that loves you.”

“You just said you love me.” Felicity eyes widened.

“Yeah I guess I did.” Oliver rolled over on his back.

“I know you have things to work through. Dig explained it to me. Sort of.” Felicity said. “I’ve seen the scars. I know you went through horrible things on that island. I love you even though you are damaged.”

Oliver turned his head to face her. “You … you love me?”

“Yes. I do love you.” Felicity said. “I just want to be here for you when you need someone.”

“You are.” Oliver rolled on his side again and pulled her close. “We need to sleep. There will be a lot to deal with tomorrow.”

Felicity snuggled close to him and grabbed two handfuls of his shirt. She rested her head just under his chin.

Oliver pulled the blanket up over her before he wrapped his arms around her. He felt her relax. Soon they had both drifted off to sleep.             

xxx

Oliver opened his eyes and felt something nearly on top of him. He looked down at Felicity. She hadn’t moved much from when they had fallen asleep. Her leg was now on his hip and she was closer than she had been. He needed to wake her but he wasn’t sure how. He looked at the clock. It was six thirty and he didn’t want Thea to catch him leaving Felicity’s room.

“Felicity, wake up.” Oliver whispered. “Wake up. Felicity, I have to go.”

She moved against him and he felt a wave of desire flood him. He took a slow deep breath to control it.

Felicity tilted her head up and without opening her eyes she kissed him. It was warm and soft.  Oliver responded without thinking.

When Felicity woke up enough to realize she was actually kissing him, she pulled back. “I didn’t mean to do that. I thought I was dreaming.”

“You dream of kissing me?” Oliver grinned.

“Well yeah.” Felicity admitted. “Don’t you?”

“No. I don’t dream of kissing myself.” Oliver teased. “So what else do you dream of? Am I naked in any of these dreams?” 

She tilted her head to the side. “Why did you wake me up?”

“I need to leave before Thea catches me in here.” Oliver was a little embarrassed. “I told her not to sleep with Roy and here I am sleeping with you.”

“I don’t think they would actually be sleeping.” Felicity bit her lip when she saw his face.

Oliver shut his eyes to get that picture out of his head. “Thanks for reminding me.”

Felicity laughed softly. “You can’t stop it. She is eighteen.”

“I know. I have to go.” Oliver leaned down and kissed her.

Felicity responded and she could feel him starting to get more into it.

Oliver rolled on top of her. His leg was between hers. He slid his hand up under the nightshirt. He knew that he should just get up and not do what he was doing but he couldn’t stop himself. Felicity was responding to him and that only made him want to continue.

Oliver finally pulled back. “Sorry. We shouldn’t. It will just complicate things.”

“Not any more than they already are.” Felicity stroked his cheek. “Oliver, we told each other I love you last night. That can’t be unsaid. We need to figure out what we should do about it, nothing is not an option for me now.”

Oliver brushed back a stray blonde curl from her cheek. “If we do what we both want to do right now, we won’t be able to go back if it goes bad.”

“Then we make sure not to let it go bad.” Felicity said.

“Easy to say but not easy to do.” Oliver shook his head.

“It will take talking and love and trust but we have two of those already. Felicity said.

“You are sure we can do this?” Oliver was doubtful.

“We can do it.” Felicity wrinkled her nose. “By ‘it’, I mean the relationship not the sex but we can to that too.”

“Sounds like you have it thought through.” Oliver smiled and kissed her soft and quick.

“I do.” Felicity smiled at him.


	5. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

“I want you. I need you. You need me too. Yes?” Felicity said she put her hands under his shirt.

Oliver moved back on top of her and let his hands roam as he kissed her. His hands were gentle but he was getting more of a response than he expected.

Felicity moaned against his shoulder as he kissed her neck. She reached up and grabbed a handful of Oliver’s short hair and pushed against him. 

Thea knocked on the door and came in without waiting. “Shit Ollie!”

“What are you doing coming in like that?” Oliver pulled back. He pulled the blanket over Felicity.

“I came to bring your girlfriend something to wear.” Thea gave her brother an annoyed look. “And to think I slept by myself last night and you were in here the whole time.”

“I didn’t plan on it.” Oliver looked at Felicity who had turned pink with embarrassment.

“Thank you, Thea.” Felicity laughed nervously. She rubbed Oliver’s arm to get his attention. “Has she caught you like this often?”

“No.” Oliver groaned. “Just leave the clothes. We will be down when we get dressed.”

Thea put the clothes on the chair by the door. “Careful doing it in the shower. It can get slippery.”

“Thea!” Oliver glared at her.

Thea laughed and shut the door.

“So much for hiding what we were doing.” Felicity said. “Just so you know, I have no regrets at all.”

Oliver kissed her. “Neither do I. We need to get going. I’ll go back to my room to shower and change. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Felicity nodded.

Oliver got off the bed and looked back with a smile before he left her alone.

When he was gone, Felicity took a deep breath. She wished she was as confident as she sounded but it was too late to second guess herself now. She got up and picked up the clothes Thea had left and headed for the shower.

xxx

Oliver came down and found Roy and Thea watching television.

“That was fast.” Thea grinned up at him.

Oliver gave her an annoyed look. “What are they saying?”

“We just turned it on.” Thea pointed to the screen. “They are running names of missing people across the bottom with a toll free number to call to check in. Ollie, there are hundreds of people on the list already.”

“Some are most likely just missing not dead, Thea.” Oliver put his hand on her shoulder. “Mom gave them at least some time to get out.”

“Not everyone got out. It was chaos.” Roy reminded them.

“He’s right.” A voice behind him said. Everyone turned to see Quentin Lance standing there.

“Detective, is there something we can do for you?” Oliver asked.

“I’m just here to inform you that Tommy Merlyn is missing. He tried to save my daughter last night then disappeared.” Lance looked at Oliver.

Oliver looked down at Thea who was looking up at him. “He wanted to make sure she was safe.”

“Yes. He did.” Lance said. “We also found his father on the rooftop of Merlyn Global. It seems he was the archer with the black arrows that killed several people in the city.”

“I knew he was troubled but I didn’t know he was a murderer. Who killed him?” Oliver asked.

“We think it was the Hood.” Lance looked at Thea and Roy. “There were green arrows at the scene too. We found some blood. He must have been hit.”

Oliver knew that was Diggle’s blood. He would have to get Felicity to hack into forensics again.

Lance looked at Oliver. Lance couldn’t read the man’s thoughts and that bothered him.

Felicity walked into the room. She was surprised to see Detective Lance standing there.

“Miss Smoak, what are you doing here?” The Detective asked.

“She’s here with me.” Oliver said. “Her apartment was at the edge of the Glades.”

“I didn’t know you two even knew each other.” Detective Lance said. “Word of advice Miss Smoak, he is trouble and you will get hurt.”

“I know exactly who he is, Detective. Thank you for your concern but I know what I’m doing.” Felicity informed him.

“As long as you are sure…..” Detective Lance looked at Oliver. “If you hurt this one, you may end up dead. She has a very dangerous friend.”

Oliver nodded. “Thanks for the warning, and thank you for telling us about Tommy’s father. I’ll let him know as soon as I see him.”

“When you hear from Tommy Merlyn, would you tell him my daughter is worried about him?” Lance nodded goodbye as he headed for the door. “I’ll show myself out.”

“Tell her not too worry so much.” Tommy walked slowly down the stairs. “I’m fine. Didn’t they tell you I was here?”

“No. I’ll tell Laurel that you’ll call.” Lance looked back at Oliver. “Somehow, I’m not surprised to find you here. You’re only slightly less trouble than Queen.”

Tommy grinned and shrugged. “I’m just hanging out with my buddy.”

Quentin nodded again and let himself out.

Oliver let the breath go that he was holding when he heard the front door close.

“What did he mean by that? What dangerous friend do you have, Felicity?” Thea asked.

“I don’t know what he was talking about.” Felicity lied but not very well. She went to Oliver and put her arms around him.

Oliver pulled her close. “I’ll go with you to your place. You shouldn’t have to deal with that on your own.”

“Thanks. I’m not sure I could deal with that on my own.” Felicity said.

“Thea said you in her room when Thea walked in to give her some clothes. I thought there was a no sleep over policy in effect.” Roy winked at Thea.

“It was only a policy for the two of you.” Oliver said. “Thanks Thea.”

Thea punched Roy in the arm. “Roy shut up.” Thea didn’t like the way Tommy and Oliver were looking at Roy.

“Oliver, what do we know about this guy?” Tommy pointed at Roy as he eased himself into a chair. “Is he good enough for our Thea?”

“Since when do you two get a say in who I date, Tommy.” Thea glared at him.

“You’re like my little sister. I get to worry.” Tommy looked at Oliver for back up.

Oliver nodded. “He’s okay but that doesn’t mean we can trust him.”

Thea rolled her eyes at her brother and sunk into the sofa.

“We can always get Dig to shoot him or hug him to death.” Tommy smirked. “Dig came to check my wounds early this morning. He wanted me to tell you that he went to check on his family. He’ll be back as soon as he can.”

Oliver nodded. “I know that Dig was more worried about them than he let on last night.”     

“Ollie, we need to find out if Mom is all right.” Thea turned and looked up at Oliver.

Felicity let go of Oliver and went to sit down and her eyes wandered to the television. She leaned forward and watched the images of the destruction in the Glades. She looked up to see that Oliver was upset.

“It's worse that I thought.” Felicity reached out for Oliver’s hand.

Oliver realized Felicity was looking at him and schooled his face and went over to take her hand. He sat on the arm of the chair. “I’ll try to call the jail in a little while. I’m sure they have their hands full at the moment.”  

“Does that say five hundred dead? I can’t believe our mom was involved in this. I thought I knew her but I guess I didn’t.” Thea said. “People keep too many secrets. Why can we all just tell each other the truth?”

Tommy and Oliver exchanged glances.

Roy looked at Felicity and thought about what the detective had said about her having a dangerous friend. He wondered if it that meant that she knew the Hood. He wasn’t sure that was even possible. How would the Hood even meet someone like Felicity?

Felicity saw Roy looking at he out of the corner of her eye. She could only guess at what he was thinking. The comment made by Detective Lance could be taken in many different ways but she suspected that he was thinking she was involved with the Hood.

Felicity looked up at Oliver and gave his hand a squeeze.

Oliver looked down at her and smiled.

xxx     

It was early afternoon when Diggle came back to the house. He had stopped by Felicity’s building and had some information for her. He found Oliver and Felicity were alone in the living room when he arrived.

Oliver and Felicity looked up from the television when Dig came in. Felicity went over and gave him a hug. “Hey Dig.”

“Hey.” Dig winced when he hugged her back. “I checked out your place.”

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Felicity asked. She knew he had bad news from the look on his face.

“They’ve condemned the building. Sorry Felicity.” Dig hugged Felicity again and looked over at Oliver. “The landlord said something about major cracks in the foundation. You have ten days to get your things out before they demolish it. They have fire marshals there now to act as escorts. They will be there between eight and six every day until they demolish it.”

“We should go and at least get you some clothes and a few other things you might need. I’ll find Raisa and see where the extra suitcases are.” Oliver said as he got up to leave.

“Wait Oliver!” Felicity grabbed his hand. “That’s great but where am I going to store my stuff? I have nowhere to put it all. I can’t just bring it all here.”

“Yes, you can, at least your clothes and personal things. The rest we can store at the club until you find a new place.” Oliver said as he squeezed her hand.

“The club? It’s not like I don’t practically live there already but it needs to be cleaned up. There is a lot of broken glass upstairs and, well, it is damp and filthy downstairs.” Felicity said.

“We can clean it up then we’ll figure it out.” Oliver said.

Felicity nodded. “I know. I shouldn’t worry but I just can’t help it. I know that things will work out but it’s just so overwhelming right now.”   

Diggle noticed that they were still holding hands. “What’s up with you two? Something is different.”

“It’s the after effects of sleeping with each other.” Thea said as she came in the room. She gave a Oliver a mischievous look

“Thea!” Oliver started to protest.

Felicity looked down and blushed.

“Wait! You two slept together?” Diggle looked at them and grinned..

“Yeah. They did. I walked in on them.” Thea gave her brother a ‘you dared me’ look.

Diggle started laughing. “Finally some progress. You two were killing me with all the …”

“All the what?” Felicity glared at Diggle.

“All the longing looks and wistful sighs.” Diggle teased.

“We did not…. Well, Oliver didn’t.” Felicity said. “Can we just go get my stuff?”

“Yeah. I have the van out front. I took it to a car wash on the way here to get the blood out of the back.” Diggle smirked. “Oliver did, by the way. He just did it when you weren’t there.”

Oliver shot Diggle a glare worthy of the Hood before releasing Felicity’s hand to find the maid.

“He is gonna be mad at you for that.” Thea said.

“He knows it’s true.” Diggle said. “So did you two had a talk first?”

“If you must know we talked but nothing really happened. We just slept together then there was some kissing this morning.”  Felicity crossed her arms across her chest. She looked over at Thea. “We didn’t do anything else.”

“Okay. Do you both know how the other feels?” Diggle asked.

“Yeah.” Felicity said.

“Good. I don’t want you two to get into anything without talking it out.” Diggle said. “The last thing you both need is a misunderstanding on what you’re doing. I don’t want to have to shoot him for hurting you.”

“We talked and we should talk about some things later.” Felicity said.

“You mean Laurel?” Thea said. “Look, I’m just getting to know you but I think he is better when he is around you. He’s calmer and not as moody. Laurel has always brought the worst out in him.”

“She’s a part of his history. I can’t change that.” Felicity said. “I can just be what he needs now. The future will take care of itself.”

“I’m glad. That’s what he needs.” Thea smiled. “I like you more already.”

Felicity smiled.

Oliver came back with suitcases. “Thea, where is Roy? I don’t want Dig to pop his stitches. He was injured last night. And we will need some help carrying things.”

“I’ll get him.” Thea walked up to Oliver and whispered. “I like this one. Don’t screw it up.”

Oliver looked at her and whispered back. “I am really going to try hard not to screw it up.”

Thea patted him on the chest. “See that you do.” She went off to get Roy.

“That will be a lot of people in the van, Oliver.” Dig said.

“We can stop at the club and pick up my bike.” Oliver looked at Felicity. “Ride with me?”

“On your motorcycle?” Felicity made a face. “I don’t know.”

“I have an extra helmet, if that’s what worries you. It’ll be fun.” Oliver said.

“I’m going to regret this. I just know it but I’ll do it.” Felicity said.

“I won’t take any chances with you with me. You know that.” Oliver said.

Felicity nodded. “I just never rode on a motorcycle.”

“You will love it.” Oliver said. “I will even teach you how to ride on your own.”

Felicity looked at him and frowned.

Diggle laughed. That’s something that I want to watch. You teaching Felicity how to ride. She’ll need something smaller than that monster you ride Oliver.”

“She can handle it.” Oliver said with a smile. “She can handle anything.”

“Not heights but I’m glad you think so.” Felicity said.

“You are remarkable, Felicity.” Oliver pulled her by the hand to him. “This may be difficult but we are here for you.”

“Yeah.” Diggle said.

Felicity reached out to Dig and patted his shoulder.

“Thea said you needed some help?” Roy said.

“Mr. Diggle has stitches and we are going to need you to help lift some things.” Oliver told him.

“Sure.” Roy said.

Oliver handed him an empty suitcase. “Then let’s go.”

 


	6. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

On the way to Felicity’s apartment, Dig dropped off Oliver and Felicity at the club then headed out to get packing supplies.

Felicity looked at the motorcycle as they walked into the loading dock. “I don’t know about this.”

“Do you trust me?” Oliver looked around and found the extra helmet. “Here. You’re going to need this.”

“I don’t want to make you wreck.” Felicity took the helmet and looked at it.

“Just hold tight and lean with me and you do great.” Oliver put on his helmet and got on the bike. “Come on Felicity.”

Felicity put on the helmet and got on the seat behind him. She put her arms around his middle and held on tight.

“Felicity, I have to breathe. You need to loosen up your grip,” Oliver teased.

“Sorry!” Felicity relaxed slightly.

“Better.” Oliver started the engine and took off slowly. He smiled to himself as Felicity tightened her grip on him again as soon as they got on the road.

It was a short distance to Felicity’s building but there were several streets blocked off by police due to debris. Oliver managed to get them there without running into any problems. Dig pulled up in the van right behind them.

Felicity took off the helmet and got off the back of the motorcycle and nearly fell over.

Oliver grabbed her arm to steady her. “Easy there.”

“That was a little more nerve wracking than I expected.” Felicity gripped his arm until her legs stopped shaking.

“You did great.” Oliver smiled. “Let’s get your things packed up.”

“Miss, are you one of the residents?” A fireman asked as he walked over.

“Yes. I’m Felicity Smoak I’m in 3B.” Felicity looked around for the first time at the building. “Is it even safe to go in there?

“We ask that you get in and out as quickly as possible. Just get what you can’t replace.” The fireman looked at Oliver then Dig and Roy as they got out of the van. “I see you brought help.”

“Yeah. Is that okay?” Felicity asked. 

“Sure. Mike will go up with you.” The fireman pointed to another one of his colleges. “If he says get out, you drop what you are doing and go. Do you understand?”

Felicity nodded. She glanced back at Oliver.

Oliver took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He looked over at Roy. “Roy, let Dig stay with the van. You and I can bring things down as soon as she has the boxes full.”

“One more thing.” The fireman said. “The elevator was damaged so you will have to use the stairs.”

Roy grabbed the extra suitcases from the van, looked at Oliver and shrugged. “Stairs are good cardio.”

Oliver gave Felicity’s hand another squeeze and nodded at Mike. “Lead the way, Mike.”

Mike took them upstairs and waited in the hallway as Felicity unlocked the door.

Felicity walked in and looked around, putting her hand to her mouth to stifle a sob. There was broken glass everywhere and almost everything had come off the shelves and out of the cabinets.

Oliver rubbed her shoulders. “Get you clothes and things out of the bathroom first. We can deal with this stuff last.”

“Which way, Felicity?” Roy asked.

“The bedroom is there.” Felicity picked up a pillow and hugged it as she looked around. “Oliver, if I had been here…”

“Don’t think about it.” Oliver took the pillow from her. “We have to hurry remember?”

Felicity nodded then followed Roy into the bedroom. She opened the suitcases that Roy had put on the bed. She opened the closet and pulled as much as she could at one time off the rod and packed. When one suitcase was full she started on another. She pulled a set of luggage out of the back of the closet and took everything out of the drawers.

“Is there anything under the bed?” Oliver asked. “Thea puts things under the bed.”

“No. There isn’t anything under there.” Felicity closed another suitcase and handed it off to Roy. “Roy, would you bring some boxes up for my shoes and purses.”

“I’ll get those.” Oliver looked at the pile of shoes and the purses on the shelf of the closet. “You start on the bathroom. Be careful of the glass.”

Felicity grabbed a small bag and went to get everything out of the bathroom. She came back a few minutes later.  “I’m going to need a box this bag is full. She picked up a photo from the floor. The frame was broken and the glass was cracked. She took the photo of her and her mom out and put it in her pocket. “I want to get as much as I can. I thought I didn’t have much but I guess I have more than I thought.”

Oliver put the last of the purses on the bed. “You and Thea have about the same amount of stuff. He picked up a teddy bear from the bed and smiled.

Felicity snatched the bear from him. “My mom gave me that when I went away to college. He is coming with us.”

“What’s his name?” Oliver laughed.

“Poker. I’m from Vegas,” Felicity explained, her tone slightly defensive, as she hugged the bear before putting him back on the bed. “I should see what else I need to get.”

Roy came in with more boxes and tape. “How much more is there? Dig was asking. We may have to make two trips.”

Felicity shrugged. “I’m not sure. She took a box and the tape and walked into the living room.”

Oliver took a box and started to fill it with shoes and purses. He put the bear in the top of the box before he sealed it up.

“What was that?” Roy grinned.

Oliver put the full box in Roy’s arms. “Its name is Poker and don’t you dare make fun of her or I’ll tell Thea you were checking out the new waitress’ ass.”

“I never…” Roy started to protest then realized that Oliver wasn’t kidding around. “Deal.”

Oliver heard a soft sound coming from the living room and he went to see what it was; he found Felicity standing there with another broken picture frame and tears falling down her cheeks.

Oliver took the frame from her and took the picture out. “I’ll get you another frame for that.”

“That’s the only photo I have of the three of us.” Felicity whispered. “I could have lost you both last night.”

“We could have lost you.” Oliver put his arms around her. “What else are you going to take? The poster I gave you?”

“Yes and those books. They’re just tech manuals but they have notes in the margins.” Felicity explained.

“Okay, the books and what else?” Oliver tried to focus her as much as he could under the circumstance. He knew this was difficult for her.

“There are some small things. The TV is toast but my laptop and tablet seem fine. I need to clear the drawers in  the desk. I think that’s it.” Felicity looked around then remembered something. “I need to get the rest of the stuff in the bathroom.”

Roy came out of the bedroom with two boxes. “Is that everything in there?”

“She has to finish packing the bathroom,” Oliver replied rubbing Felicity’s shoulders.

“There’s a box in there for that. Do you need another for in here?” Roy asked.

“Three more I think. I have to clear out the closet. My coats are in there.” Felicity answered as she pointed to the closet door.

“Finish the bathroom and I’ll start the closet.” Oliver steered her toward the bedroom. He looked back at Roy. “Roy take down those and bring more boxes.”

Roy left with that load and came back a little while later with empty boxes. Oliver filled two with stuff from the closet and went to get the one that Felicity had filled with things from the bathroom.

Felicity looked up when she heard him come in. “Oliver, I’m done. Everything is empty. I took some things off the walls they’re on the bed. I want that blanket too. My Bubbe made it.”

Oliver smiled and picked up everything off the bed. “Is there anything else you want?”

“No. I need to finish in the living room.” Felicity pulled him down by his arm and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for keeping me together through this.”

“Isn’t that what you do for someone you love?” Oliver gave her a quick kiss and took the armful he had into the living room.

Felicity followed him. She checked the closet and started to empty the drawers of the desk. When she had everything out, she walked around the room picking things off the floor and checking under the furniture. She finally stood up and sighed. “I’m done. That’s all there is.”

“What about the kitchen?” Oliver asked. “Anything in there?”

“No. I don’t cook and there’s nothing in there I can’t replace.” Felicity closed up the last box and looked at Oliver. “I want to go now before I start to cry again.”

Oliver picked up the last box and waited for her to walk out the door.

“All done Miss Smoak? Mike asked as she shut the door.

“Yeah. We’re ready to leave now.” Felicity tried to smile but she had to blink back tears. “I really liked this place.”

“Just think, at Oliver’s you’ll have maid service.” Roy grinned.

Oliver glared at Roy and shoved the box into Roy’s arms. “Take the box _Roy_.”

Roy looked at Felicity. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Roy.” Felicity reached out for Oliver. “I can’t stay there forever though, your mother doesn’t like me.”

Oliver put his arm around her shoulders as they followed Mike down the stairs. “She doesn’t know you but once she warms up to you …”

“She’ll still not like me,” Felicity finished his sentence. “I wonder what she’ll think of Roy.”

Oliver laughed. “She’s really not going to like Roy.”

“I heard that!” Roy called up from the landing below. 

Oliver handed Felicity her helmet when they got down to the street. He turned to Dig. “It doesn’t look like as much as I thought. Let’s just take it all back to the house.”

“Got it.” Dig went to get behind the wheel of the van.

“Miss Smoak!” The first fireman called out. “Will you need to come back?”

“I don’t know.” Felicity looked at Oliver. “I may want to double check to make sure we didn’t leave anything.”

“That’s fine. You have until Friday. That is the demolition date.” He handed her a copy of the notice. “Here are the times that we will be here to assist you.”

“Thanks.” Felicity folded it and tucked it in her pocket. She got on the back of the motorcycle with Oliver.

“Are you okay?” Oliver asked her quietly.

“No.” Felicity wrapped her arms around his waist. “Let’s just go.”

Oliver let the van go first as they left. He followed Dig all the way back to the house.

Not long after Oliver and Roy left with Felicity to get her things from the apartment, there was a knock on the door at the mansion. Thea opened the door and found a very angry Laurel Lance.

“Where are Tommy and Oliver?” Laurel pushed past Thea and walked into the living room to look around.

“Oliver is not here. He’s helping a friend. Tommy is upstairs …” Thea rolled her eyes.

Laurel ran up the stairs and banged on the door. “Tommy! Open the damn door. Tommy! Did you hear me? Open the door?”

Thea came up behind Laurel. “Laurel, he was hurt trying to rescue you. He needs to rest.”

“He can rest when he’s dead.” Laurel snapped. She pounded on the door again. _“Tommy!”_

The door opened and Tommy stood there on unsteady feet. “Laurel, I really don’t feel like talking right now.”

“I don’t care! I’m here and we are going to talk.” Laurel shot a meaningful glance towards Thea. “In private.”

Thea blinked in surprise then looked at Tommy.

“Go ahead. I’ll be fine.” Tommy opened the door wider and walked back to the bed to sit down. Laurel stormed into the room and shut the door.

Thea groaned and went downstairs.


	7. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

“What do you want at yell at me for this time?” Tommy sighed.

“Where did you go when you got me out? Why didn’t you come out the same way that I did?” Laurel asked him. “I was worried for you. I thought you died when the building collapsed.”

“I couldn’t follow you because the way was blocked. I was pinned in,” Tommy sighed. “Laurel, I went into that building to save you. This is what I get for my efforts? You, yelling at me because I didn’t follow you out of a collapsing building. I can’t believe this. How ungrateful can you be?”

“How the hell did you end up here?” Laurel demanded putting her hands on her hips. “Did Ollie just magically appear on his motorcycle to get you out before the building fell?”

Tommy shook his head. “Laurel, I don’t have to explain anything to you. You broke up with me remember? Then you slept with Oliver.”

“Did he tell you that?” Laurel frowned. “Just like him to throw it in your face.”

“No. I saw you two through the window.” Tommy couldn’t believe that she thought Oliver would tell him. It was if she didn’t really know Oliver at all. “I came for you because I still love you even though you never loved me. I was just a stand in for Oliver.”

“That’s not true!” Laurel stamped her foot

“Isn’t it?!” Tommy shouted back. “As soon as he came back from that damn island, you were all over him. I was just that guy you slept with sometimes.”

Laurel started to cry. “I didn’t mean…”

“You never do, Laurel, but that doesn’t keep you from doing it.” Tommy sighed and laid back on the bed. “Just leave. I don’t really feel like looking at you anymore.”

Laurel made a quick exit and slammed the door behind her. She ran down the stairs and ran straight into Thea. “What? Do you have something you want to say too?”

“Yes I do.” Thea blocked her way. “You can’t just come in here, yelling and slamming doors like a two year old.”

“That’s rich, Thea, especially coming from you.” Laurel snapped.

“I’m not the one yelling at man who was almost killed rescuing you.” Thea glared at her. “You are such an ungrateful bitch sometimes.”

Laurel shoved her out of the way and ran out the front door.

Thea went upstairs to Tommy’s room. She opened the door a crack and peeked in. She wanted to make sure he was okay after his visit from Laurel.

Tommy saw the door open and he knew it was Thea right away.. The only thing he could do was invite her inside. “Thea, you can come in.”

“I didn’t want to bother you.” Thea came over and sat on the bed. “Are you okay?”

“No. I have a hole in my chest and another one in my heart.” Tommy rubbed a hand over the bandage on his chest. “At least one of them will heal…eventually.”

“I’m sorry, Tommy.” Thea patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll bring you something to eat in a little while.”

“You’re a really good nurse, Speedy.” Tommy reached over and grabbed her hand.

Thea chuckled. “Thanks Tommy.” She gave his hand a squeeze and got off the bed. “Gets some rest.”

“Sure.” Tommy sighed restlessly.

Thea shut the door and went downstairs to wait for Oliver and the others.

An hour later, Thea stood front stoop of the mansion watching as Oliver and Felicity pulled up. “I can’t believe you got her on that monster. She’s braver than she looks.”

Oliver took off his helmet and held out his hand to help Felicity off the back. “You have no idea how brave she is.”

Felicity took off her helmet. “He’s exaggerating.”

Thea shrugged. “I’m impressed. I got on that thing with him once and I swore I would never do it again.”

“You were ten and I was going really fast.” Oliver reminded her as he got off the motorcycle. “Roy and I are going to take the boxes to your room. Thea can help you unpack.”

“Sure. Come on, Felicity. I can tell you about all the embarrassing things that Ollie did that didn’t make it into the papers.” Thea grabbed Felicity by the hand and led her inside.

Felicity looked over her shoulder at Oliver. He winked at her then walked over to start taking the boxes out of the van.

Felicity followed Thea upstairs to the room she was using. “You seem upset about something. Did I do something to upset you?”

“No. It wasn’t you. Laurel came and threw a fit at Tommy.” Thea shook her head. “Sometimes, I don’t even know her.”

“He saved her and she got mad at him?” Felicity frowned and shook her head. “Who does that?”

Oliver walked in with a couple of boxes and sat them down. “Who does what?”

“Laurel was here yelling at Tommy.” Thea answered him. “Ollie, you may want to go talk to him. He was pretty upset when she left.”

Felicity looked at Oliver. “She’s right you should talk to him.”

Oliver let out a breath and went into the hallway. He went over and knocked on Tommy’s door.

“Thea?” Tommy called through the door.

“No. It’s me.” Oliver came in and sat in a chair by the bed. “Thea said you had a visitor.”

Tommy sat up in bed. “Yeah. Laurel was here and she wasn’t really pleased to see me.”

“Maybe, I should have taken you around to where she and her father were.” Oliver leaned back in the chair. “They could have gotten you to a hospital.”

“In your green leather outfit?” Tommy chuckled. “You would have been so arrested. She was really mad that I didn’t die.”

“I think Dig has been giving you too much oxycodone. She wouldn’t want you dead.” Oliver looked at him. “Was she really yelling at you?”

“Like a banshee.” Tommy sighed. “I told her that I saw you two together the day before the Undertaking.”

“How?” Oliver looked confused. He didn’t remember seeing Tommy that day.

“I saw you through the window of her apartment.” Tommy admitted. “You were always the one she loved, not me. Now, she doesn’t have you or me. You’re with someone new and I have decided move on.”

“What does that mean?” Oliver asked.

“As soon as I am up and around, I’m going to leave Starling City.” Tommy laid back down. “I think I need a fresh start.”

“I think we all do. I’m sorry Tommy. I didn’t think about how being with Laurel would hurt you.” Oliver stood up. “It was stupid and I should have known that.”

“Do me a favor.” Tommy looked at Oliver and managed an almost sincere grin. “When you marry that blonde ponytail, invite me to the wedding.”

“I will, but chances are I will mess this up just like I mess up every relationship.” Oliver shook his head and grinned.

“Don’t.” Tommy warned him. “She’s a keeper. She makes you smile and I see the way you look at her when she’s not looking.”

Oliver laughed at being caught. “Is it that obvious?”

“Oh yeah. It is so obvious.” Tommy laughed.

Thea knocked on the door then came in with a tray. “Hey. I brought you some food. Are you two okay? You look really serious.”

“We were just having a very serious conversation about your brother’s love life.” Tommy sat up and looked at the tray that Thea was holding. “Raisa’s pot roast? Have I ever told you two how much I love this place?”

“Raisa made it special for you. She knows your aren’t feeling well.” Thea put the tray on the bed. She looked at Oliver. “Come down and eat something, Ollie.”

“I’ll be down in a moment.” Oliver waved her out.

Thea stuck out her tongue at Oliver before leaving the room.

“She’s still a little pain in the ass, isn’t she?” Tommy took a bite. “This is heaven. You better go get some before Thea eats it all. Does Felicity eat pot roast?”

“Yeah. She loves meat. You should see her eat a burger. It’s nearly X-rated.” Oliver chuckled.

“Oh god. You lucky bastard.” Tommy smirked. “You better go before she finishes her dinner.”

Oliver chuckled and clasped Tommy’s shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze, before  heading out the door and down to the dining room.

When Oliver walked in Thea and Felicity stopped laughing and looked guilty as soon as they saw him walk into the room. Oliver frowned and looked at Roy for an explanation of what was going on before he got there. Roy just shook his head and gave him a disappointed look.

“Felicity, whatever she is telling you, I can explain.” Oliver sat down. “She tends to exaggerate how bad things are.”

“I think she may have got it right this time.” Felicity picked up a forkful of pot roast and gave him a suspicious look. She put the food in her mouth and moaned. “This is so good. I love meat.”

Thea looked at Oliver and laughed. “Raisa is a really good cook.”

“Thank you, Miss Thea.” Raisa brought Oliver his plate and patted him on the shoulder with a smile on her face.

Oliver realized he was screwed. Thea had probably just told Felicity something completely embarrassing about him in front of Roy, of all people. From the look on Roy’s face it was really embarrassing. So much for trying to keep up his image of being Thea’s intimidating older brother.

Oliver shifted in his seat. He was getting uncomfortable. Felicity and Thea kept looking at him and giggling. He could feel his cheeks burn. Roy had the good sense not to make eye contact with him after a few minutes.

Finally when dinner was over, Oliver headed upstairs. He checked on Tommy before going to his room and saw that he was sleeping. He went to his room and found Felicity sitting on his bed.

“Hi.” Felicity smiled.

“Hi.” Oliver stood there not knowing why she was there. He finally took a chance. “Do you want to sleep in here tonight?”

“Okay.” Felicity nodded. “Sorry about dinner. Thea said you used to have this thing. She didn’t call it a teddy bear but it sounded like something like that kind of thing. She says you kept it hidden in the closet.”

“It’s a stuffed dog.” Oliver looked at his feet.

“Uh huh.” Felicity smiled. “She says you still have it. She saw it here in your room after you went missing. I can’t imagine you having a stuffed anything. Your so...”

“Violent?” Oliver let out a breath.

“No. I was thinking more like hardened.” Felicity shrugged. “You were probably a very different person before the island. I’m never going to get to know him, am I?”

“No he’s dead. He died on the Gambit.” Oliver suddenly walked into the closet and came back with a stuffed brown dog.

“Is that it?” Felicity reached out for it.

“Yeah.” Oliver handed it to her and sat on the bed beside her. “His name is Buddy.”

“Oliver, he’s adorable.” Felicity hugged the toy.

Oliver smiled. “My grandmother gave him to me. She was my mother’s mother. She was very special to me. I’ve always kept him out of sight. I didn’t anyone to know that I still had him.”

Felicity leaned over and kissed Oliver on the cheek. “That’s sweet. I promise not to tell anybody about Buddy. Maybe he can play with Poker sometime.”            

Oliver laughed. “Maybe. Let’s get some sleep.”

Felicity sighed and handed the dog back to Oliver. “Bye Buddy.”

Oliver got off the bed and put the toy back in its hiding place in the closet. He changed into his pajama pants and a t-shirt to sleep in. When he came back into the room Felicity was gone.

He sat down on the bed to wait for her. He assumed she had gone to change. A few minutes later she came in with her pajamas on.

“Want to watch a movie until we fall asleep?” Oliver asked. “I can borrow something from Thea.”

“No. I’ll just try to hang on until the end and then I won’t be able to sleep at all.” Felicity got in the bed. “You want the side next to the door, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” Oliver said as he watched her climb across the bed to her side and put her glasses on the night table.

Oliver smiled and got under the covers with her. He pulled her close and she snuggled up to him.

Felicity giggled. “You’re still a big softly on the inside, aren’t you?”

“Don’t tell anyone but I have my moments.” Oliver kissed her on the top of the head. “Go to sleep Felicity. I’ll keep you safe.”

“I’ll keep you safe too.” Felicity snuggled even closer and rubbed his chest.

Oliver closed his eyes and relaxed. Until he could feel Felicity’s breathing deepen and even out, he wouldn’t let himself drift off to sleep.

Sometime during the night, Felicity sat up screaming. Oliver sat up and wrapped his arms around her and shushed her until she calmed down. It was strange for him because he was usually the one waking up with a nightmare.


	8. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Oliver came downstairs while Felicity was still sleeping the next morning. He was about to go into the kitchen for something to eat when he saw Thea standing at the bottom of the stairs.

“Ollie, you need to talk to him because he won’t listen to me.” Thea stood there in her pajamas and pointed to the living room.

“Who won’t listen to you?” Oliver looked over her shoulder when he reached the bottom of the stairs. He saw Tommy sitting in one of the chairs in a suit and tie. “Tommy, are you going somewhere?”

“I got a call from the building inspector. They still have me listed as the general manager of the club. They want to do an inspection this morning. I was just going to meet him and pay him off again.” Tommy explained. “You wouldn’t happen to have fifteen thousand dollars lying around would you?”

“Wait and we will all go. I can stop at the bank on the way.” Oliver looked at Thea. “You should have come to get me when he first came downstairs.”

“I didn’t know which room you were in and I didn’t want to walk in on you and Felicity doing it.” Thea made a face. “It’s not fair you know since Roy and I can’t.”

“Don’t let her lie to you. Didn’t I see you coming out of Roy’s room this morning?” Tommy looked at Oliver. “I feel so left out. I have no one to cuddle with.”

“I’ll be back in a few. Don’t move!” Oliver looked at Thea. “We are going to talk later.” He went back upstairs to get dressed.

“Thanks Tommy.” Thea pouted. “Just what I needed… my brother punching my boyfriend in the face.”

“You better hope that’s all Oliver does to him.” Tommy sat up and winced. He put his hand on his chest and rubbed it. “This is going to be a long day.”

An hour later after a stop at the bank, Tommy and Oliver met with the building inspector. After a quick tour, they handed him an envelope with fifteen thousand dollars in cash inside. The man smiled and handed them a copy of the passing inspection report before he left.

Tommy sat down on a barstool and rubbed his chest. “That gets more expensive every time we do it.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Oliver shifted on his feet and looked at his feet.

“It’s not like we can let him see your secret lair.” Tommy sighed. “What are you going to do about the club?”

“We are going to clean up and open as soon as possible.” Oliver looked around. “I’m assuming there is some stock undamaged, of course. The insurance will cover some of the loss. Thanks for setting that up by the way.”

“Actually, it was my dad that suggested it.” Tommy regretted what he said as soon as he said it. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Oliver sat down next to him.

The door opened and Thea, Roy, Felicity, and Dig walked in.

“Hey there. We came to help.” Thea put her purse on the bar. “Where do you keep the broom? Roy will go get it and use it.”

Tommy laughed then clutched the bandage on his chest.

“See what you did. Tommy probably busted his stitches.” Oliver glared at his sister.

“Why don’t we all help clean up? There has to be more than one broom around here.” Felicity looked around.

“First, Dig is going to take Tommy back to the house.” Oliver waited for Tommy to start to protest and he was surprised when he didn’t.

“Come on Dig. I can tell you all about Oliver before he got on that damn boat.” Tommy winked at Oliver. “Boats suck, by the way.”

Dig chuckled. “My thoughts exactly.”

Oliver just shook his head and went behind the bar.

Tommy looked over his shoulder as he and Dig started out the door. “Did you hear about the time that Ollie….”

The door closed before Tommy finished the sentence.

“You’re in trouble now.” Thea laughed.

“The brooms are in the storeroom.” Oliver looked around the bar. “I need to start on the inventory. We are going to have to reorder a lot of stock before we open back up.”

“Come on Roy.” Thea grabbed him by the arm and pulled him upstairs to the storeroom.

“I can help you with the inventory.” Felicity smiled. “I’m good with numbers.”

“Thanks.” Oliver looked at her and smiled. “We are going to need to clean down below sometime. As soon as we are finished with everything up here, I want to start down there.”

“Got it. Where are the inventory lists? Are they on a computer or in a ledger?” Felicity asked. 

“Tommy used a ledger. It should be in the office.” Oliver pointed to a door on the second level. He started for the stairs to get them. “We’ll start at the bar and then go through the storeroom.”

“You’re going to need new barware for sure. Most of this is toast.” Felicity kicked a large chunk of glass that looked like a pitcher. “No margaritas for me tonight.”

“I guess you’re going to have to help me choose. Thea too.” Oliver disappeared into the office and came back out with a dusty ledger. “We will probably have to redecorate too. Some of the fixtures are cracked.” 

“Hey Ollie maybe we should do an island theme.” Thea stopped in her tracks as she came out of the storeroom. “Sorry that just kinda popped out. We could stick with the industrial theme since this was a factory.”

“I like that!” Felicity piped up. “Steam punk!”

“Maybe not that industrial.” Thea tilted her head.

“We have time to work that out.” Oliver sat the ledger on the bar and opened it. “Felicity, you’re right we are going to have to order all new barware. There is practically nothing left according to this. Almost everything is broken. Are there a lot of broken bottles in the storeroom?”

“The ones in the boxes seem to be fine but everything on the shelf is toast.” Thea told him. “It smells like an alley back there.”

“More like a drunk tank.” Roy started to sweep up the glass.

Oliver looked up from the ledger. “How would you know what a drunk tank smells like?” He looked over at Thea. “Thea?!”

“Calm down Ollie.” Thea gave him a glare. “Go count the booze. Oh and don’t drink it all.”  

Felicity laughed. “I’ll keep him sober. Let’s go, Oliver.”

Oliver looked at them and walked from behind the bar. “Yes Felicity.”

“You have got to teach me how you got him so whipped so fast.” Thea teased.

“I showed him my boobs.” Felicity winked at Oliver.

“She did not show me her boobs.” Oliver put his hand on Felicity’s back.

“I don’t believe you, Ollie.” Thea laughed. “You’re still a dog.”

“Bark! Bark!” Oliver threw over his shoulder as they climbed the stairs to the storeroom. Felicity just giggled.  

Thea and Roy started to clean up the glass and debris in the main room and worked on each tier one at a time.

While they were working, Felicity slipped downstairs to work on the getting things cleaned up down in the lair. She was surprised to find Dig down there already.

Oliver checked on Roy and Thea before he slipped downstairs and looked around. He could see that a lot of the dirt and debris had been cleared up from the room. There were two large trashcans full of pieces of wood and plaster.

“Hey. There you are.” Felicity came from behind one of the cabinets and put some debris in the trash can.

“Felicity, you don’t have to clean, you know. I was going to take care of it.” Oliver said.

“I wanted to.” Felicity shrugged. “Besides, it’s not like you can let a cleaning crew down here. I had to check the wires to make sure they weren’t damaged anyway. I can’t hack with damaged wires.”

Oliver looked around. “I think we need to do some upgrading around here. The club is going to need repairs. We should just have some work down here as well.”

“What do we tell the workmen this area is when they ask? A hidden lair?” Felicity tilted her head at him. “Or maybe a man cave?”

“I haven’t thought that far.” Oliver said. “Maybe, we can just do the work ourselves, just the three of us.”

“Sounds like something not in my job description but I am willing to help out.” Dig said as he turned around to look at them.

“We could make it a team building exercise.” Felicity saw the frown on Oliver’s face. “Or not.”

“I think we have enough bonding between us. Don’t we Dig?” Oliver said.

“Yeah, being shot at together does that.” Dig grinned. “I’ll go get some food. I don’t think any of us thought about eating at all today.”  

Oliver pulled out his wallet and held out a $50 bill to Dig.

“I got this one.” Dig pointed a finger at Felicity. “Extra pickles?”

Felicity nodded. “Chocolate shake too please.”

“Got it burgers and shakes for three.” Dig walked out the side door.

“I need to fix that door.” Oliver said. “Do you have components for the electronic lock?”

“Yeah. It just needs a few new wires. It just shorted out when the power surged.” Felicity waved at the side door lock.

“That needs to be a priority.” Oliver said. “The one at the top of the stairs too.”

“Okay. I’ll get right on that. Oliver, we need to talk about what’s been happening between us lately. Or what is about to happen before Thea walks in on us.” Felicity bit her lip and waited for him to respond.

“I’m sorry if I pushed you into something you weren’t ready for.” Oliver let out a breath. “I think we were both feeling vulnerable and that was not the right time for…”

“Us to have sex? No, probably not.” Felicity put her hand on his arm. “I want to have sex with you but not right now. I was upset and you’re hurt. We just need to slow down.”

Oliver furrowed his brow. “You want to be with me?”

“Well yeah. If you still want to after I stuck my foot in my mouth like that.” Felicity winced.

“I don’t want things to go badly.” Oliver looked at the floor. “Most of my relationships end in…”

“Screaming. Mayhem. Death.” Felicity looked at him. “I know. I have seen a few of them.”

Oliver nodded. “I’m not easy to love and I am messed up.”

Felicity sighed. “I know that too. We will do this slow. I’m going to hug you now.”

Oliver grinned. “Okay.”

Felicity got out of the chair and put her arms around him.

Oliver laughed and pulled her close into a warm hug. “Don’t ever change, Felicity.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I’ve seen you checking me out.”

“Oh god! It just those leather pants are really tight.” Felicity buried her face in his chest.

Oliver chuckled. “I was talking about how you watch me on the salmon ladder but okay.”

Felicity made a noise against his chest that sounded like a muffled scream.

“Hey.” Oliver rubbed her back. “There is something else I need to talk about with you.”

“Did I do something else to make you upset? Is it about us sleeping together?” Felicity rolled her eyes. “Not together but in the same….Ugh!… I hate when I do that.”

“No but we should talk about Laurel.” Oliver said as he pulled back. “I haven’t been in love with Laurel for a long time. I was in love with what was in that picture that got me through everything on the island but that isn’t the real Laurel. She isn’t the perfect girl I fantasized about.”

“She always seems sort of mean and a little bitchy every time I see her.” Felicity said.

Oliver smiled. “She can be and sometimes she can be manipulative. She has been playing me and Tommy against each other since I came home.”

“Like I said… bitchy.” Felicity grinned slightly.

Oliver took a breath. “I need to tell you that I slept with her the day before the Undertaking. It was a mistake. I don’t want it to jeopardize what we are starting to build between us. I think we should pursue this. I know that you have feelings for me and I have feelings for you and maybe we should….”

“Feel them together?” Felicity finished his sentence.

“Yes.” Oliver smiled. “I want to do this but I don’t want to too quickly.”

“I can do slowly.” Felicity nodded.

“Hey. Let’s get the rest of this cleaned up. Dig will be here soon.” Oliver pulled away.

Felicity picked up the broom and started sweeping. Oliver put the broken equipment into a trash can.


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It was almost an hour later when Dig walked in the side door with dinner. “I had to go across town to the Big Belly Burger that wasn’t damaged in the quake.”

Felicity put down the broom. “I’m starved. It must be stress. I can’t stop eating.”

“Something you two want to tell me?” Dig looked at Oliver.

“Nothing to tell.” Oliver walked over to the desk and picked up a shake.

“I heard Thea and Roy talking at the house.” Dig looked at Felicity. “Something about a sleepover. Are you sure you don’t want to tell me something?”

Felicity just shrugged and shoved a French fry in her mouth.

“So neither one of you is going to tell me what’s going on?” Dig folded his arms across his chest.

“Like I said; nothing to tell.” Oliver took a sip of his shake.

“You two are going to drive me crazy one day.” Dig relaxed and took a burger out of the bag. He handed it to Felicity. “Extra pickles.”

“Thanks Dig!” Felicity smiled as she took the burger and went over to the computer to check the progress of the updates.

“Now she talks!” Dig chuckled. He handed a burger to Oliver before unwrapping his own. “I only have one thing to ask. If you two get together let me know. There’s a pool and I’d like to win.”

Oliver glanced back at Felicity but she was too engrossed in what she was doing and wasn’t paying attention to them.

“Who started it? I might want to get on the action,” Oliver glanced at Felicity again.

“Your sister.” Dig laughed.

“Of course she did.” Oliver chuckled.

When they finished their food, they worked for a while longer. Dig left them at the mansion before heading out to see Carly.

It was less than an hour after they returned to the mansion Oliver heard a knock on his bedroom door. He had just gotten out of the shower.

Felicity stood there in her pajamas and blushed when she saw Oliver in the towel still wet from the shower. “Um … Sorry I’m just gonna go.”

Oliver grinned when he realized she was looking at his chest. “Come in Felicity. I was wondering when you were going to come to bed.” He opened the door wider and stepped aside.

“You say that like it’s no big deal.” Felicity glanced down the hall in both directions before she went in Oliver’s room.

“We are just going to sleep, right?” Oliver closed the door and started to walk to the closet. “We’re both having nightmares and it helps having someone who knows what that is like,”

“Yeah. It does.” Felicity walked over to the bed and plumped up one of the pillows.

“I’m going to put on something to sleep in. Go ahead and get comfortable.”

“Oliver, do you think Thea believes we are having sex?”

Oliver froze in his footsteps. He took a breath and turned around. “It doesn’t matter what Thea thinks. We are adults and this is our business.”

“It’s just that I like her and I don’t want her to think that I’m like some notch on your bedpost.” Felicity picked up the other pillow and plumped it.

“I don’t think of you as a notch. You’re much more than that.” Oliver started walking to the closet.

“Thanks for saying that.” Felicity climbed into bed and waited for him to come back.    

When Oliver came back and found Felicity sitting in the bed waiting for him. He climbed in and settled down. “Come on over. I know you want to.”

Felicity snuggled close to him and rubbed his chest. “I’ll keep you safe, Oliver.”

Oliver tilted up her chin and gave her a kiss. “I’ll keep you safe too.”

It wasn’t long before Oliver jerked awake. Felicity rubbed his chest until his heart stopped pounding.

“What was it?” Felicity asked when he was calmed down.

“I thought that I lost you. I thought you were crushed under the rubble during the Undertaking. I found you and you were dead.” Oliver pulled her closer. “It would be my fault if you died.”

“Oliver, I made the choice to stay. It wouldn’t be your fault.” Felicity snuggled closer. “Go back to sleep.”

“Okay but you have to go to sleep too.” Oliver kissed on top of the head. “I knew you had been awake when I woke up.”

“I’ll try.” Felicity rubbed his chest. “I’m just having trouble relaxing.”

“We’re safe when we are together, Felicity.” Oliver cuddled her closer. “Just relax.”

Felicity drifted off to sleep but it was Oliver that laid awake this time. The images of his dream were still going through his mind like a warning. 

xxx

During the days following the destruction of the Glades, there were many funerals. There were still rescue and recovery efforts going on as well but the dead had to be buried as soon as possible. Every cemetery was covered in fresh graves and even more being dug to accommodate the five hundred deaths that had happened that night.      

In a well-kept cemetery in a more affluent section of town, a handful of mourners gathered around a jet black coffin. As the service concluded, the mourners started to scatter quickly.

Oliver and Tommy remained when the others were gone. They stood watching as the coffin was lowered into the ground.

“Are you okay, Tommy?” Oliver asked.

“I’m not sure. I think the pain meds are making me a little numb to this whole thing. I don’t feel anything. He’s my father but I’m not feeling anything. He was a bastard and I can’t feel anything.” Tommy put his hand over his face. 

“Tommy, you’re just in shock.” Oliver reached out when Tommy swayed a little.

“When your dad died, were you in shock?” Tommy asked. He moved his hand and looked over at Oliver.

“I didn’t have time to feel anything. I had to find a way to survive.” Oliver looked back at the lowered coffin. “I only started to mourn him when I came home and I didn’t have to worry about being killed every five minutes.”

“Until you put on that hood.” Tommy pushed Oliver’s hand away from his arm. “You know that you’re crazy, right?”

“You’re welcome.” Oliver looked back at him. “Have you called Laurel?”

“Why? She doesn’t want me.” Tommy sighed. “You have always been her first choice.”

“Tommy, I told you. I will always love her but I’m not in love with her anymore. You need to go and mend things with her.” Oliver put his hand back on Tommy’s arm to help him to the car.

“So that’s it now that you’re with the blonde ponytail, huh? Just like that?” Tommy shook his head. “Not that I blame you. If I didn’t love Laurel so much, I would cut my losses and find someone else too.”

Oliver looked back at the coffin that was almost out of sight. “Don’t let the Undertaking ruin your life. Pick yourself up and dust yourself off. Make the life you want for yourself. Don’t let anyone hold you back not even me.”

“When did you get so wise?” Tommy grinned. “What the hell happened to you on that island?”

“Too much.” Oliver sighed as they reached the limousine. “I have to go are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah. I have to go to the office. There are some things I need to take care of.” Tommy opened the car door. “I’ll see you at the house.”

Oliver patted Tommy on the shoulder. “Call if you need me.”

“Where were you?” A woman’s angry voice asked behind them. “Why didn’t you come to save me?”

Oliver turned to face Laurel Lance. “I wasn’t able to get there in time. I’m sorry Laurel.”

“Laurel, don’t start.” Tommy sighed. “Not today and not right now.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, Tommy.” Laurel glared at him. “Did you know what was going to happen? I know your mother wasn’t the only one involved in what happened in the Glades.”

“No. My father was part of it too.” Tommy said. “That is old news.”

“I’ve got to go.” Oliver turned to walk away.

Laurel grabbed Oliver’s arm. “I’m not done with you yet! Did you know what was going to happen?”

Oliver pulled away and started to walk away again.

Detective Quentin Lance walked up behind his daughter and grabbed her by the arm. “Laurel, you’re making a spectacle out of yourself. Let’s go.”

“Just go home, Laurel.” Tommy pleaded. “He didn’t have anything to do with the Undertaking and neither did I.”

“I don’t believe that for a second. I can’t prove it but you both probably knew about what was going to happen all along. Queen, you need to leave my daughter alone before she ends up dead like her sister.” Detective Lance said.

“Not a problem.” Oliver nodded as he kept walking.

Dig stepped up beside Oliver. “Mr. Queen we need to get to that appointment.”

Diggle glanced at the Detective and his daughter before following Oliver to the car.

“Oliver, are you okay?” Dig asked as he caught up to him.

“No.” Oliver shook his head and took a breath. “Dig, let’s just go to the club. I don’t think I can face my mother just yet.”

Dig looked at him and knew better than to argue at that moment. “Yes sir.”

They drove to Verdant and went into the basement. Oliver pulled his tie off as he walked down the stairs.

Felicity swiveled in her chair as she heard them coming. She looked at Oliver and frowned. He looked more upset than she expected.

Diggle made eye contact with her and shook his head with a grim look on his face. Felicity stood up and met Oliver in the middle of the floor and wrapped her arms around him.

“Felicity what are you doing?” Oliver looked down at her blonde head against his shoulder.

“I’m hugging you.” Felicity said. “You had a bad morning and you look like you need one.”

Oliver tried to pull away but Felicity tightened her hold on him. “Felicity. Not now. I’m really not in the best of moods.”

“I know but I’m not letting go until you hug me back.” Felicity looked up at him, her eyes were full of understanding, then put her head back against his shoulder.

Oliver could tell she was not going to give in. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her. He closed his eyes and leaned his chin on the top of her head. They stood there holding on to each other for a while. Dig watched them holding onto each other. He knew Felicity was just what Oliver needed. She seemed to have a calming effect on Oliver most of the time.

Dig turned away after a few moments and sat at the computer screen and watched the news on mute as he waited for them to finish hugging. The pictures of the destruction of the Glades still dominated the broadcast.

Oliver finally pulled back and whispered in Felicity’s ear. “Thank you. I feel better now.”

Felicity smiled at him. “You’re welcome.”

Oliver nodded.

“If you don’t need me anymore this afternoon, I’m going to check on Carly.” Dig said as he stood up and got out his gun cleaning kit.

“Is she okay? If she needs anything all you have to do is ask.” Oliver said.

“I know but I have it covered.” Dig said. “Her mom lives far enough out of the city to have escaped any major damage. Carly and my nephew got out as soon as they saw the news. They don’t have power or hot water right now at her mom’s but they were told it will only be a day or two more.”

“Hot showers were one of the things that I missed the most on the island.” Oliver said.

“All the showers are hot in Afghanistan.” Dig said. “I look around and it’s like a war zone out there. I don’t know if the city will come back from this.”

“Then we will have to help it. If I’m going to stay down here, I’m going to start working out.” Oliver started to take off his suit jacket.

“Oliver?” Felicity reached out to him. She rubbed his arm.

“Are you going to hug me again?” Oliver looked at her.

“Not unless you want me to.” Felicity couldn’t read the expression in his face at that moment.

“I’m fine. It’s just been a rough morning.” Oliver went to get changed to work out.


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Felicity sat back down in front of the monitors to watch the rest of the newscast.

Dig pulled out a gun cleaning kit and settled down to clean his gun.

When Oliver came back Felicity looked at him. “You weren’t gone very long. How was your mother?”

“I didn’t go.” Oliver pulled on his gloves.

“I don’t understand.” Felicity looked at Dig then back at Oliver. “Why were you so upset if you didn’t see your mom?”

“Something happened at the cemetery just after Malcolm’s funeral.” Oliver told her. “Laurel made a scene and it got kinda ugly. I decided not to go see my mom after that.”

“I’m sorry.” Felicity reached out and grabbed his hand. “I’m going to go get lunch. What do you want?”

“Chinese?” Oliver got his wallet out of his jacket pocket.

“Emperor Ping’s is closed. It was damaged along with most of the other restaurants in the Glades,” Felicity told him.”I will have to go somewhere not in the Glades.”

“Go to Russo’s. It should be open. I’ve been craving the pancetta Alfredo.” Oliver said as he pulled a hundred dollar bill out of his wallet.

Felicity looked at it like it had teeth. “Wow! Will lunch for three be that much?”

“At Russo’s? Yes.” Oliver said. “Take it and I’ll call it in.”

Felicity took it and headed up the stairs.

Oliver took out his cell and called in the order. He looked at Dig. “Now what is it you have wanted to talk to me about?”

“What do you mean?” Dig said.

“You have been giving me that look since we got here.” Oliver looked at him. “Do you want to talk to me about Laurel?”

“No. Felicity.” Dig gave him the look.

“What about Felicity?” Oliver sighed.

“She has feelings for you.” Dig told him.

“I know. She told me the night of the Undertaking.” Oliver said as he sat down in a chair to face Dig.

“Oliver, I can’t believe you can be so dense.” Dig put his gun down. “You couldn’t figure it out for yourselves? She came on board when Walter was kidnapped she could have left at any time after he was found. She stays because she has feelings for you.”

“I know.” Oliver scowled. “She does want to help.”

“She wants to help just like she was helping you a few minutes ago with that hug.” Diggle smirked. “That and those very obvious slips she makes.”

“I know that now.” Oliver looked stunned. “I have never even thought of her in that way before we talked.”

“Really? Because I have noticed you looking at her like she was more than a friend.” Dig called him out.

“I’m protective. She isn’t trained to fight like we are.” Oliver tried to play it off.

“She has been working with me. She wants to be able to hold her own in the field. She wants to do it for you, Oliver.” Dig told him.

Oliver looked shocked. “You think it’s gone too far. You think I still love Laurel and I’m just using Felicity.”

Dig nodded. “After what happened this morning with Laurel and her father, it might be a good idea to cut ties with her. You have to make a choice.”

“You’re right. I love Laurel but I realized that I’m not in love with her anymore. I think that I haven’t been in a long time.” Oliver got up and walked to the salmon ladder. “Felicity….”

“What about Felicity?” Diggle grinned.

“But if I go there with her and things don’t work out it will make things uncomfortable around here. Once I cross that line, there is no going back.” Oliver looked at the bar on the floor. “We came very close the morning after the Undertaking.”

“True but if you don’t cross it you will always wonder what could have been.” Dig said. “That’s worse.”

Oliver picked up the bar and sat it in the first set of notches and leaned on it. “I had a talk with her and we are clear about what we want. We just have to do it slowly and carefully. “

“Good to know.” Dig said. “Felicity is good for you, Oliver. Don’t let her get away.”

“We should go upstairs and meet Felicity when she gets back. It’s still a mess down here.” Oliver started to go up the salmon ladder. “It will take at least an hour for her to get back with the order.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Dig went back to cleaning his gun.

xxx

Thea was surprised to get a text from Tommy telling her to come meet him at his office. She walked off the elevator onto the executive floor of Merlyn Global and headed for Tommy’s office but hesitated when she heard voices.

“Mr. Merlyn, the will has not been probated. You have no authority to take over this company.” A very frustrated man’s voice said.

“This is my inheritance. That gives me the right.” Tommy yelled back. “Is there some reason you are dragging your feet with the paperwork other than to get more billable hours?”

“No but…”

“Then get out and take care of it.” Tommy shouted at the man.

The door opened and a red faced man in an expensive suit came rushing past Thea.

“Hey there!” Tommy called out. “Come in, Thea.”

“I can come back, if you’re busy.” Thea said as she walked into the office.

“No. That’s just legal stuff to do with Dad’s death.” Tommy walked around the desk and led her over to a sofa. “Come sit with me. I need to show you something.”

“What are you going to show me?” Thea gave him a suspicious look as she sat down.

Tommy went back to the desk and grabbed a file before coming to sit down with Thea. He handed her the file. “I found this in the safe at home when I was emptying it out. I thought I should show it to you myself.”

Thea frowned and opened the file. “What is this? It looks like some kind of medical test.”

“It’s a paternity test.” Tommy pointed to a line on the document. “It says you’re my sister. Well half-sister.”

“This has to be a fake.” Thea shook her head. “My mom and your dad? No. I don’t believe this. I thought maybe they were hooking up but this isn’t real.”

Tommy looked at the floor to gather his words. “Thea, I was just a kid but I remember your mom at my house late at night. I think it’s real.”

“She wouldn’t do that.” Thea shoved the file back at Tommy. “She would have told me.”

“We can run the test again with my DNA but I think it’s going to come out the same.” Tommy put the file on the coffee table in front of them. “I read Dad’s will. He mentioned you. He wouldn’t have done that if this was fake.”

Thea stood up. “I need to talk to my mom.”

Tommy stood up. “I get that. Call me and we’ll arrange another test if you want one.”

Thea looked up at Tommy. “You’ve always been a big brother to me. Did he tell you?”

“No. It always felt like you were my little sister. I thought it was because I spent so much time at your house with Oliver.” Tommy leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I do love you.”

“I love you too.” Thea hugged him tightly

“Hey! take it easy! I still have a hole in my chest.” Tommy winced with pain.

“Sorry.” Thea gave him a kiss on the cheek then left his office. She had a trip to Iron Heights to make and a lot of questions to get answers for.

An hour later, Thea sat in the visitor’s room waiting for Moira. She didn’t know if she was mad or confused or both. Robert had been her dad in every way that counted. The man who was her father was a stranger to her and she wouldn’t get the chance to get to know him.

Moira walked in and could tell that Thea was upset. “Thea, baby, what’s wrong? Is your brother okay? I thought he was coming for a visit this morning.”

“Which one? Oliver or Tommy?” Thea waited for Moira to say something. After a few minutes of silence, Thea decided to continue. “It’s true, isn’t it? I’m Malcolm Merlyn’s daughter. Why didn’t you tell me? You should have told me.”

“Because, it wouldn’t have changed anything.” Moira sighed. “Robert loved you, he raised you. Does it really matter that he isn’t your biological father?”

“You lied to me all these years. You lied to Oliver too.” Thea started to get up but sat back down. “Just tell me one thing. Did he know I wasn’t his daughter?”

“Yes.” Moira reached out to Thea. “It didn’t matter to him if Malcolm was your father. You were his little princess.”

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Thea asked.

“No.” Moira bit her lip. “How did you find out? Who told you?”

“Tommy found a paternity test in his...our dad’s safe. I’m in Malcolm’s will too.” Thea sighed. “I came straight here because I wanted to see your face when I asked you about it.”

“You haven’t told Oliver?” Moira asked.

“No but I will.” Thea stood up. “I have to go. I can’t stay here looking at you right now.”

“Thea, I’m sorry.” Moira called out as Thea walked away.

“I bet you are.” Thea muttered angrily as she walked through the gate.

Thea went home to wait for Oliver to get back from whatever he was doing. She had no idea how to cope with the news of her mother having an affair with Tommy’s dad.

Maybe, Oliver would give her some clue to help her come to grips with it. He may even remember something that would help her understand what her mom was thinking.

There was one thing Thea was sure of, she was glad to have Tommy as a brother officially even though he had been her brother all through her life already.

xxx

Felicity sent a text telling Oliver and Dig that she was on the way with the food. Oliver sent one back telling her to meet them upstairs in the club.

When they reached the main room of the club, the door opened. Oliver and Dig looked up to see who it was; they were expecting Felicity but Laurel walked in instead.

Oliver came over to her as she stood in the middle of the room. “Laurel, why are you here? You made it pretty clear that you didn’t want anything to do with me and then what you said this morning just sealed it.”

“I really want to apologize.” Laurel said.

The door opened and Felicity walked in. She looked at Laurel as she went to the bar with the large bag of food.

Laurel looked confused at Felicity.

“I really don’t want to hear anything you have to say. I’m done being jerked around by you.” Oliver turned his back on her and started to walk to the bar.

“Is this about what I said this morning?” Laurel asked. “I really didn’t mean it.”

Oliver looked at Diggle who scowled. He turned back around to face Laurel. “I was there, Laurel. I came to make sure you were all right. I went into the building and found Tommy with a piece of rebar sticking out of his chest. I thought he was dead. He’s been my best friend all my life and I thought I had lost him.”

Laurel looked shocked. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“You know, we say that way too much to each other. I know that you only really love yourself. Tommy and I were just something you could use to get ahead.” Oliver said. “I knew before I got on that boat that I was always just a way for you to get to the top.”

Laurel looked like she was going to protest.

“Just get out.” Oliver turned his back on her again and started to walk to the bar.

Dig stood up and walked toward Laurel. “Ms. Lance, let me get the door for you.”

Laurel looked at Oliver and then left with Dig walking behind her to make sure she was gone.

Felicity didn’t say anything. She waited for Oliver to say something first. When he didn’t say anything, she turned back to face the bar.


	11. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

After Laurel had been let out, Oliver turned back to the bar and looked in the bag. He started to pull out the containers and put them on the bar. “It smells great. I didn’t think I was this hungry.”

“Oliver, you don’t have to cover your feelings around me. I know it wasn’t easy to relive that moment.” Felicity said. “That whole night was a nightmare for all of us.”

“No it wasn’t easy but she had to know what really happened.” Oliver set the bag aside. 

“What did she say to you this morning?” Felicity said.

Oliver looked at her. “She thought that I had abandoned her when I didn’t come to save her. Her father was there too and he told me to stay away from her. He doesn’t want to see another one of his daughters hurt by me.”

“Tommy’s father is the reason that she had to be saved. She’s lucky that Tommy loved her enough to go into a collapsing building for her. I can’t believe she was yelling at you for not saving her.” Felicity shook her head.

“She’s pushing both of us away. Tommy has already started to think twice about being with her.” Oliver sighed. “But her father was right. I am responsible for Sara’s death. “

“Unbelievable.” Felicity reached out and rubbed Oliver’s arm. “In my opinion, what happened on the boat wasn’t your fault, either. I mean the sinking part not the cheating part. Both of them should be smart enough to know that.”

“Let’s just eat, Felicity.” Oliver handed her a container of pasta.

“I have been thinking about this for a week.” Dig said as he came back to the bar. “I still can’t believe you suggested it, Oliver.”

Dig glanced at Felicity, who was looking in the bag for plastic utensils. Oliver nodded and passed him a container of pasta.

“I’m surprised at you, Dig. You’re usually more of a burger kind of a guy.” Felicity said as she found the plastic forks and pulled them out of the bag.

“Sometimes, I like something more gourmet.” Dig said.

“Take your time, Dig.” Oliver took the fork that Felicity handed him. “I was just thinking of doing patrols tonight. There shouldn’t be anything going on with the curfew still in effect.”

They dug into the pasta. There was little conversation throughout the meal other than passing the breadsticks.

“I’m going to go.” Dig picked up his jacket from the barstool. “I’ll be back soon. Thanks for lunch.”

“Say hello to Carly for us.” Felicity smiled and started to pick up the empty containers.

Dig patted Oliver on the shoulder and left. Felicity thought it was because Oliver still seemed upset about something.

“Oliver, are you okay?” Felicity asked. “Did something else happen today that upset you?”

Oliver scowled for a moment before answering her. “I’m just tired. We haven’t been sleeping and I think it’s getting to me.”

“Sorry. I’ll sleep by myself tonight.” Felicity took the bag of trash and put it behind the bar.

“ _No._ ” Oliver reached out across the bar and put his hand on her arm. “I want you to come in tonight. I don’t want you to wake up afraid.”

“If you’re not sleeping, then I should sleep in my room. Alone.” Felicity tilted her head at him. She was daring him to protest.

Oliver raised an eyebrow at her. “You know that I’ll just end up in your room anyway.”

“Ugh!” Felicity let out a dramatic sigh. “I still can't believe we actually do that now.”

Oliver laughed and was about to say something when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the screen then answered it. “Thea?”

“Come home Ollie.” Thea sounded upset. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“What do you need to talk to me about?” Oliver asked looking over at Felicity with concern on his face.

“Ollie, just come home.”

“On my way.” Oliver disconnected the call. He turned to Felicity. “Thea wants me to go back to the house. Do you want to stay here?”

“No. I’ve done all I can do today.” Felicity came from behind the bar. “I need to get another circuit board for the lock on the inside door before I can fix it. It must have had a second power surge to fry it like that.”

“What about the lock on the alleyway door? Is it fixed?” Oliver asked.

“I fixed it this morning.” Felicity took her keys out of her pocket and handed them to him. “I suppose you want to drive.”

Oliver took the keys and nodded. “Tomorrow, we take one of the cars in the garage. No offense, but your mini cooper is tiny. It reminds me of a clown car.”

“Oliver!” Felicity laughed and picked up her bag. “That is so mean. I love my car. But you are huge so I can see why you don’t like it.”

“I’m huge?” Oliver laughed as he opened the door for her.

Felicity glared at him as she walked out the door. “Not like that! I don't know anything about that!”

“Yes, you do.” Oliver countered. “You were practically on top of me again this morning.”

“Oh god!” Felicity bit her lower lip.

“Don’t worry. I liked it.” Oliver winked. He laughed when she blushed.

They got into Felicity's car and took the only way home that wasn't blocked off. Even with the driver's seat all the way back, Oliver was still cramped and it made steering a challenge.

Thea was waiting for them in front of the house when they pulled up. Oliver frowned when he saw that she had been crying. He parked the car and got out.

“Thea, what happened? Is Mom okay?” Oliver asked as he walked up.

“Oh! She's fine.” Thea folded her arms in front of her. “She's just been lying to me again.”

Felicity tried to slip past them into the house but Thea caught her by the arm. “You may as well stay, Felicity. He’s going to tell you anyway. He doesn't keep secrets from the people he loves.”

Felicity looked at Oliver. She knew that wasn't true but she wasn't going to contradict Thea when she was so upset.

“Okay.” Felicity nodded.

“Thea, why don't we go inside. Is Tommy back yet?” Oliver looked to see if the driver Tommy was using was out there.

“No. He isn't. I think he went to get some things from his dad's place.” Thea turned to go back inside.

Oliver opened the door and held it for them. He went inside and closed the door. He guided them both to the living room. “Let’s sit down and talk about this lie that Mom told you. First, what is it?”

Thea sat down on the sofa. “Dad isn’t my real father. My real father was Malcolm Merlyn. I went to ask her if it was true and she didn't deny it.”

Oliver looked down at the floor then sat down beside her. “Who told you the Malcolm was your father?”

“Tommy. He found a paternity test in his dad's safe. It said that I was a Merlyn. Did you know?” Thea had a hopeful look in her eyes. She couldn't bear it if Oliver had known all along.

“No. I just thought they were friends.” Oliver hugged his sister. “I suppose I have to share you with Tommy now.”

“Yeah. I got a feeling that he wants to talk to you about Roy. He’s really okay with being my big brother it seems.” Thea leaned her head on Oliver's shoulder. “Aren't you mad at her? She lied to both of us.”

Oliver took a breath before he answered. “It won't change what happened. You're still my sister.”

“You’re my friend too. I hope.” Felicity smiled at them. “I wish I had two big brothers. It would have made middle school so much easier. I was teased a lot. I was younger than everybody else and I wore clothes from the thrift store.“

Thea reached out and pulled Felicity down on the other side of her. “You have a sister now and so do I. Right Ollie?”

Felicity smiled at Oliver. Thea putting pressure on their new relationship wasn't what she wanted. She hoped Oliver knew that.

“Yeah. Felicity is staying with us.” Oliver reached over and took Felicity's hand. “Thea, I know this was a shock but you know, Tommy has always thought of you as his little sister. It's not a new thing with him.”

“That's what he said.” Thea sighed. “He should move in here with us permanently. We’re family. We should all live together.” 

“We should talk to Tommy about it.” Oliver kissed Thea on the cheek. “Maybe, he will stay in Starling if he knows he has a home here.”

“Tommy didn't say he was leaving. Not to me.” Thea started to get upset all over again.

As if on cue, Tommy walked through the front door. “Anybody here?”

“We’re in the living room, Tommy.” Oliver stood up and went to the doorway.

“Hey! When were you going to tell me you were leaving?” Thea asked.

“I thought it might be a good idea for me to get out of town until we all cool down.” Tommy eased into the chair. “The pain meds are wearing off. I didn't know everyone would be home or I would have come back earlier.”

“Thea wants you to move in with us, permanently.” Oliver said as he sat back down. “I think it's a good idea. She made the point that we are all family now. We should be together.”

“So the three of us live here, together?” Tommy looked at Felicity. “Or is it going to be the four of us?”

“Four.” Thea smiled. “For once, Ollie has a girlfriend that's not judgemental or weird. Those last two were not my favorites.”

“Not mine either.” Felicity smirked at Oliver.

“So it's settled.” Thea got up and hugged Tommy. “You are moving in with us. I'm going up stairs to take a nap. I’m worn out.” 

“Not a bad idea.” Tommy gingerly stood up. “I could use a nap and some more pain meds. Walk me up, Thea?”

“Of course, big brother.” Thea looped her arm around Tommy’s and she walked to the stairs.

“Oliver, your mother might not want me to stay here.” Felicity squeezed his hand. “I should look for a place, just in case.”

“Felicity, I’ll talk to her and it will be okay.” Oliver rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “I don’t think she’s coming home, not for a while. Maybe not ever.”

“I know that’s going to be hard on you both. You know, a nap actually sounds pretty good.” Felicity scooted over to Oliver on the sofa. “We should at least rest before you go out tonight.”

Oliver leaned back against the back of the sofa. He put his arm around Felicity and pulled her against his chest. “We can. Or we can watch some TV.”

“I vote nap.” Felicity got up and pulled his hand. “Come on you. We’ll close our eyes for a while and see what happens.”

Oliver got up and let her lead him to the stairs.

Roy came in before the started up. “Where's Thea? I got a weird text from her about having another brother. I thought you were her only brother. Do you know what she's talking about?”

“She's upstairs and I will let her tell you what she meant.” Oliver started up the stairs with Felicity.

“Okay then.” Roy rushed past them to the top of the stairs.

“He loves her you know.” Felicity smiled.

“He’s trouble.” Oliver scowled.

“Like you're not?” Felicity laughed. “Does it surprise you that your sister has a thing for bad boys when both of her brothers are bad boys?”

Oliver sighed. “When you put it that way, no it isn't. I’ll just have to keep an eye on him.”

“You were doing that already and Tommy will be doing it now too.” Felicity stifled a yawn. “I think I’m actually going to get some sleep.”

Oliver opened the door to his room and pulled Felicity in. He kicked off his shoes and bounced on the bed. He pulled off his shirt and laid back. “Don't get used to this. The world will get back to normal soon enough.”

“Oliver, our world has never been normal and it never will be.” Felicity picked up his t-shirt and pulled it over her head then dropped her dress to the floor as she pulled it down.

“I have clean ones in the drawer.” Oliver put his arm around her as she settled next to him on the bed.

“I know but I like the way you smell.” Felicity snuggled closer.

Oliver laughed. “Really?”

“Yeah. It's like leather and sandalwood with other man smells.” Felicity reached up and rubbed his cheek. “Close your eyes and try to get some rest.”

Oliver kissed her palm and pulled her closer before he did what she told him to do. Soon he was asleep.

Felicity had waited until he was breathing deeply before letting herself drift off. He was the one out there fighting the bad guys. He needed the rest more than she did.


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It was dark when the phone woke them. Oliver reached over and grabbed his Felicity's phone from the night table.  He looked at the caller and pressed the answer box.

“Dig?”

“Where are you two? I thought we were going on patrols tonight.”

“Sorry. Thea called then Felicity and I decided to take a nap.”

“That explains why your answering her phone. Are you coming in?”

“Yeah. We’ll be there in a bit.” Oliver disconnected the call and looked down at Felicity. “Hey. We need to go. Dig is waiting on us.”

Felicity stretched as woke. “Okay. I need to put some clothes on.” She patted his bare chest. “So do you.”

“I’ll get a clean shirt that one smells like you now.” Oliver kissed her neck and got off the bed. “Meet me downstairs and wear pants because we’re talking the motorcycle.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Felicity stretched one more time then got up. She opened the door and peeked out before heading to her room in Oliver’s shirt.

Ten minutes later, Oliver and Felicity pulled out of the garage on Oliver’s motorcycle. They get to the club to find Dig waiting in his car.

“What are you doing out here?” Oliver asked as he helped Felicity off the motorcycle.

“The code doesn't work.” Dig looked at Felicity.

“Oh! I changed it. It's my birthday.” Felicity punched in the code and they followed her inside. “That way you'll remember to get me presents. Speaking of birthdays, we didn't celebrate yours, Oliver.”

“We will when things settle down.” Oliver walked over to his gear. “Just cake with you two, Thea and Tommy.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Dig headed for his gear. “What’s the plan for tonight?”

“Felicity monitors the calls to the police and we show up.” Oliver shrugged. “It should be quiet but we should do a drive through just in case.”

Felicity hacked in and was ready by the time Oliver and Dig left.

They stayed out for three hours before calling it a night. As Oliver predicted, it was quiet due to the curfew.

Dig pulled the van back into alley as Oliver got off his motorcycle. “I’m heading to Carly’s mom’s tonight. There was some trouble last night and I want to keep an eye on them tonight.”

“Are they okay?” Oliver punched in the code to open the door.

“Yeah, just a little scared. I’ll see you two in the morning.” Dig got into his car and waved as he pulled away.

“Felicity?!” Oliver walked in and put his bow down on the workbench.

“I’m over here. I found the extra med supplies. I’m just restocking the cabinets.” Felicity called out.

Oliver walked over and turned her around. “Felicity….”

“Are you okay?” Felicity looked him over. There was blood on his face but she didn’t see any cuts. “Where’s Dig?”

“He headed home.” Oliver backed her up against the med table. “We are all alone.”

Felicity put her hands on his chest. “Yeah.”

Oliver lifted her up and sat her on the med table. She squeaked in surprise.

“Oh! That’s cold!” Felicity looked up into his eyes. “So we are going to do this here?”

“At least, Thea won’t walk in on us.” Oliver leaned over and kissed her. It was slow and gentle.

Felicity pulled him closer by strap of his quiver. She wrapped her legs around him. The warm leather felt good on her bare legs.

Oliver pulled back and smiled. His eyes were sapphire blue with desire. He ran his hands up her bare legs and under her skirt. He smiled as Felicity unzipped his jacket. He pulled off his quiver and dropped it to the floor. The jacket and black tee shirt followed quickly.

Felicity leaned back to admire his chest and unbutton her blouse.

Oliver helped with the last two buttons and then waited for her to take it off.

Felicity threw her blouse on the floor on top of his jacket. She lifted her hips as Oliver pulled her skirt down and let it fall on the floor.

Felicity found the zipper of his leather pants and slowly pulled it down. She could see that he was already aroused. She pushed them down as far as the tight leather would let her. Oliver stepped back and peeled them the rest of the way off. Felicity reached over and pulled him back to her by the waistband of his black boxer briefs.

Oliver leaned down and kissed her neck. “Felicity….”

Felicity reached back and unhooked her bra then threw it on the growing pile of clothes on the floor. She reached up and ran her nails along Oliver scalp. She smiled when she felt him shiver from the sensation.

Oliver dropped kisses along her collarbone before he started to lick on her hardening nipples. He felt her grip his shoulders tightly as he moved from one breast to the next.

“Oh god!” Felicity whispered as she felt Oliver tug on her panties.

“Do you want me to stop?” Oliver asked breathlessly.

“No. I want you. Now. Oliver, please.” Felicity put her hands on his waist and pulled him back between her legs.

Oliver took a slow breath and pulled his boxers down then pulled her panties off. He suddenly stepped back. “Felicity, we don’t have a condom.”

She pulled him back to her. “Now Oliver.”

Oliver and Felicity locked eyes for a second then Oliver stepped back between her legs and entered her in one slow motion. He buried his face in her neck as he fought to keep from moving too fast.

Felicity moaned and grabbed his ass to pull him in deeper. “Oliver!”

Oliver moved as slow and deep as he could until he felt her start to shake. He could tell she was close to climaxing and it made him move faster. He finally felt her release.

Felicity cried out. “OLIVER!” Her entire body was drowning in waves of pleasure. She dug her nails into his ass as she pulled him in.

Oliver released with a moan. He put his head on Felicity’s shoulder fighting to breathe. He finally caught his breath and pulled back to look at Felicity’s face.

Felicity was flushed and her hair was a mess but she was smiling. “So that happened.”

Oliver chuckled. “It sure did. We should get home.”

Felicity nodded and grinned. “Oliver, could you hand me my clothes?”

Oliver looked down at the floor. “I better find some clothes.” He reached down and picked up her clothes then looked at her naked on the med table. He smiled as he looked her up and down.

“You’re going to make me blush.” Felicity held out her hands for her clothes.

“You’re looking at me.” Oliver laughed.

“Only the parts I haven’t seen before.” Felicity admitted. “Give me my clothes!”

Oliver handed her the clothes and went to find something to wear.

“Wow! You’re just walking around naked like its nothing.” Felicity said as she got dressed.

“Like it?” Oliver turned around so she could see everything.

“Oh yeah.” Felicity giggled. “Happy birthday, Oliver!”

“Best present ever.” Oliver winked at her.

The door alarm went off for the alleyway door. They looked at each other.

“That better not be Thea. She keeps walking in on us.” Felicity said as she pulled her skirt on and went to hide behind the med cabinet. “I think we’ve traumatized her enough.”

“Dig?” Oliver called out.

“Yeah. I forgot my… what the hell?” Dig looked at Oliver standing there naked. “So, this is what you do when you’re alone down here by yourself.”

Felicity laughed then put her hand over her mouth. “Oh shit!”

Dig closed his eyes. “Please tell me she isn’t naked too.”

“No. She’s dressed now.” Oliver grinned. “We were… um…”

“Yeah. I can see what you were doing.” Dig sighed. “I forgot my suit jacket. Oliver, man, put on some pants. This isn’t the island.”

Felicity giggled. She came from behind the med cabinet. She looked down on the floor and caught sight of her panties and snatched them up. “There they are!”

Dig rolled his eyes and grabbed his suit jacket off the top of the weapons locker. “Next time put a sock on the door or something. Better yet, don’t do it down here again.”

“Sorry Dig!” Felicity called out as Dig walked to the side door.

Oliver grabbed his jeans from the locker and laughed.

“Oliver!” Felicity picked up his boxer briefs balled them up and tossed them to him.

“Thanks Honey.” Oliver winked.  

Oliver got dressed and they went back to the mansion on the motorcycle. Oliver couldn't stop smiling the whole way home. He almost felt… happy.

Felicity hung on tight with a smile on her face too. He was everything that she had imagined that he’d be and more. This new thing between them was exciting and a little scary but she was glad they had taken the step past friendship.

When they got to the house, Thea was waiting when Oliver and Felicity came walking into the house. Oliver frowned when he saw her standing there.

“What are you doing up so late?” Oliver walked up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.. 

“Mr. Diggle called he said he caught the two of you naked. I can’t believe that I have to pay Tommy a hundred bucks. You two couldn’t have waited another three days?” Thea gave him a disappointed look.

“What is she talking about?” Felicity frowned.

“They had a pool on when we were going to have sex.” Oliver took a breath. “It serves you right. You were the one that set it up. Is Tommy asleep?”

“Yeah. He’s upstairs. He just took some more meds and went back to sleep.” Thea looked over at Felicity. “I’m glad you're staying here. I like having you around. You make my brother happy.”

“I’m staying for a while but I may find some place later.” Felicity smiled then scrunched her shoulders. “When your mom comes home, she might not want me here. I don’t think she will be too happy to have a stranger in her house.”

Thea looped her arm through Felicity’s. “Nonsense you’re Oliver’s girlfriend. She is going to love you. Just like we all do. Felicity, what do you think about having your wedding here. We could do it in the ballroom. I was thinking pinks and greens.”

Felicity looked back at Oliver with a panicked look on her face as Thea led her upstairs.

Oliver just shrugged. “I like pinks and greens Thea.”

Felicity turned back and shook her head at him.

“We could have a string quartet and a champagne fountain.” Thea continued.

“Canapes and chocolate cake.” Oliver added.

“Wait a minute you two.” Felicity stopped in her tracks.  “We aren't ready for wedding planning yet. Oliver and I are just starting. It's going to be a long time before we are ready to plan a wedding.”

“She's right Thea. We are just starting this relationship.” Oliver took Felicity's hand. “We’ll let you know when we’re ready to plan the wedding.”

“Dont worry. I was only kidding.” Thea kissed them both on their cheeks.  “But it would be nice if something good came out of all the destruction lately. You know like a phoenix rising from the ashes stronger and ready to live again.”

Felicity leaned against Oliver. “I like that image.”

“It’s perfect for us and for Starling City.” Oliver pulled Thea against his other side.

“Phoenix is also a great place for a honeymoon.” Thea grinned.

“Speedy!” Oliver laughed as he walked them up the stairs.

“Hey! Felicity, do you have any hot single friends to be your maid of honor?” Thea asked.  “Cause I need to get my other brother hooked up.”

“I’m sure he will appreciate that.” Felicity looked up at Oliver.

“I always wanted sisters.” Thea pulled away and walked up the rest of the way on her own. At the top of the stairs she turned. “I always wanted to be an aunt too. No pressure but think about it.” She turned and went to her room.

Oliver and Felicity stopped and looked at each other then back at the spot Thea just left.

“We’ll talk later.” Oliver said as he started back up the stairs.

“Oh yeah. We are definitely going to talk about everything later.” Felicity followed him up the stairs. “We’re going to need a plan for the baby having mission.”

Oliver just laughed.   


End file.
